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How Dallas Cowboys became first sports team to smash $5bn valuation

How Dallas Cowboys became first sports team to smash $5bn valuation

New Forbes list put the NFL team top as the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

Sunni Upal

Sunni Upal

Dallas Cowboys were named the first sports franchise to break the $5billion barrier when Forbes released their latest valuations this week.

The American football juggernauts saw their value rise four per cent from their previous $4.8bn mark, even though they haven't won the Super Bowl since 1996.

Dak Prescott celebrates after scoring a touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott celebrates after scoring a touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys

The NFL powerhouses are worth $1.2bn more than the biggest Premier League club Manchester United.

Billionaire owner Jerry Jones brought the team for $140m back in 1989 and turned them into a commercial beast.

Their annual revenue of $864m dwarfs that of any rival in the league with New England Patriots a distant second on $593m.

Much like Man Utd, though, their financial and commercial dominance is built on a history of success.

They have won the NFL's greatest prize on five occasions - only the six-time winners New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have more titles to their name.

The AT&T Stadium in Texas - known as 'Jerry's World' after their owner - is the largest and most luxurious in the league with a capacity of 100,000 and a staggering cost back in 2005 of $1.2bn.

Jerry Jones brought the team for $140m in 1989 and they're now worth $5bn
Jerry Jones brought the team for $140m in 1989 and they're now worth $5bn
The Star in Frisco, Texas cost $1.5bn to build and has a 12,000-seat stadium inside
The Star in Frisco, Texas cost $1.5bn to build and has a 12,000-seat stadium inside

Dallas reportedly generate $340million in sponsorship and hospitality seating from the stadium alone.

According to Wall Street Journal, their plush home uses more electricity than the whole nation of Liberia on an NFL game day.

Three years ago they opened their amazing new $1.5bn training base that spans over 500,000 square feet in Frisco with hotels, restaurants and a 12,000-seat stadium inside.

The Cowboys are known as 'America's Team' and their brand is famous all over the world.

They dominate the television schedule during NFL season, often playing more games in prime time than any other team.

Nine of the 50 highest-rated sport shows on television in the US last year were Cowboys games, according to USA Today.

Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have their own reality TV show
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have their own reality TV show

The brand power of the Cowboys is so strong that their cheerleading squad even have their own reality TV programme.

Every year since 2006, a programme called 'Making The Team' has followed the audition and recruitment process of the league's most famous cheerleading squad.

Only the New York Yankees on $4.6bn are anywhere near Dallas' mega valuation.

But if the men from Texas can break their Super Bowl duck and become NFL champions once again, their value could soar even more.

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