The Rooney family will most likely never sell the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially since they’ve owned the franchise since its founding in 1933. Still, if they ever decided to, they’d make quite a bit of money.
According to Sportico, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the 13th-most valuable franchise in the NFL, worth approximately $4.26 billion, which is an increase of 19% from the previous year.
Sportico’s calculations are derived from interviews with more than 30 bankers, lawyers, team executives, owners and consultants as well as public documents involved in the sport. The average NFL franchise is worth $4.1 billion, up 18% over last year.
Currently, the Dallas Cowboys are the NFL’s most valuable franchise at approximately $7.64 billion. Sixteen NFL franchises have been valued at least $4 billion, compared to seven in the other U.S. sports leagues, including four in the NBA and three in MLB, according to Sportico. The Los Angeles Rams ($5.91 billion), New England Patriots ($5.88 billion), New York Giants $5.73 billion) and the San Francisco 49ers $5.18 billion) round out the top five in the NFL.
In the AFC North, the Steelers are the most valuable team. The Baltimore Ravens rank 21st at $3.435 billion, while the Cleveland Browns ($3.18 billion) rank 27th overall. After making the Super Bowl in 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals remain the NFL’s least-valuable franchise at $2.84 billion.
The total value of the NFL’s franchises, which include team-related businesses and real estate held by owners, is $132 billion, according to Sportico.
Throughout the 2021 season, the Steelers generated $508 million in revenue, which was an increase of $144 million from the $364 million generated in 2020. The $508 million in revenue generated ranks 18th in the NFL, with the Cowboys generating the most revenue last season at $978 million, according to Sportico.
The Steelers’ value increased with a recent 15-year, $150 million stadium naming rights deal with Acrisure, pairing the Steelers with yet another corporate sponsor. Currently, the Steelers count 84 Lumber, Anheuser-Busch InBev, BetMGM, FedEx, Ford Motor, Giant Eagle, Kraft Heinz, PNC Bank, Ticketmaster, Unibet, UPMC, and U.S. Steele as corporate partners.
After the Rooney family founded the Steelers (then the Pirates) for $2,500 in 1933, they certainly have received some serious return on investment in the 89 years since. The NFL remains king.
