Which of the two biggest sporting empires is worth the most? : PlanetF1
Named the “Most Valuable Sports Empire” in the world by Forbes in January 2023, the F1 industry is certainly extremely lucrative for anyone involved in the sport.
Across the pond in the United States, the National Football League (NFL) enjoys a similar status. As the largest professional soccer league in the United States, the franchise has seen tremendous growth in recent years thanks to its live rights in current media.
Below, PlanetF1.com compares two of the largest and most successful sports companies in the world to find out which empire is currently the richest.
About the NFL
The NFL is the largest professional football league in the United States and is made up of 32 teams in two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).
The team that wins the AFC Championship plays the winner of the NFC Championship in the Super Bowl at the end of each season. The Super Bowl is a huge televised event in the United States, with millions of people tuning in to watch it every year.
The popularity of the NFL began around 1925, when the largest crowd of all time gathered on Thanksgiving Day to watch the Chicago Bears tie with the Chicago Cardinals. In 1951, the NFL championship was televised for the first time, and just over 30 years later, in 1982, Super Bowl XVI made history on CBS as the most-watched sporting event of all time.
The NFL changed television immeasurably, and by 1986 it was the highest-rated television show of any kind, with over 120 million viewers.
The 2023 edition of the Super Bowl, in which the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, was watched by over 115 million viewers in the United States, making it not only the most watched Super Bowl in history, but also the most popular television show of all time in the USA
How much is the NFL worth right now?
Due to the increase in value of media rights across the NFL – Forbes estimates each club will receive $220 million in the 2023 season – NFL teams have seen a huge increase in their overall ratings, with each NFL franchise being worth more than a billion dollars in their own right.
The average value of the NFL franchise is up 28% in 2022 and is expected to continue growing this season.
According to Forbes’ most recent analysis, the combined value of all 32 NFL teams is currently $142.87 billion, but this is only an estimate of the NFL’s total net worth.
We can expect the organization to be worth a lot more, with estimates in the region of US$150bn (£118.5bn).
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About F1
Dating back to 1950, Formula 1 is one of the most well-known and popular motorsport competitions in the world, with the FIA Formula 1 World Championship forming an important part of the racing calendar.
From the start of the championship to the current F1 season, the racing series has evolved significantly, with improvements being made to the aerodynamics, design and engines of the cars, and better safety measures also being introduced. F1 is currently the fifth most popular sport in the world, with an estimated global audience of 500 million fans.
The 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship this season started in Bahrain in March and will end in Abu Dhabi at the end of November. The championship includes 22 races in 20 countries on five continents, including three races in the United States.
F1 teams get most of their money from sponsorship deals. Every F1 team has multiple sponsors who contribute millions of dollars while teams also receive huge sums of money by winning the championship.
At At the end of the 2022 season, Ferrari received $200 million, while championship winners Red Bull received $169 million and Mercedes $159 million.
How much is Formula 1 currently worth?
Formula 1 is known for its steady cash inflow and the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship is no different with more money than ever available to be shared between the drivers and constructors. Based on last year’s placement, the entire F1 prize pool alone amounts to around 2.2 billion US dollars.
Formula 1 is owned by Liberty Media, which is currently valued at $21 billion (£16.8 billion), and was recently named the world’s ‘most valuable sporting empire’ by Forbes, valued at $17.1 billion ( 13.8 billion pounds).
Despite rumors of a sale to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in early 2023, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei denied the game was for sale, saying it would cost “a lot more than $20 billion” to complete that Company considering a sale in the future.