How the World's Biggest Sports Teams Monetize Social Media and Merchandise Sales

Fortune Franchises

Fans are always looking for ways to connect with their teams, whether it’s through buying merchandise, going to games, or interacting with social media posts. 

Sports teams can generate large followings on their social media channels, which not only provides fans the opportunity to connect with their team and their favourite players but also provides additional sources of income for the club.

That’s why we wanted to know which of the biggest sports teams in the world generate the most money through their social media and merchandise. We’ve looked at the estimated Instagram and TikTok earnings, as well as the jersey costs, to reveal all. 

The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable team in the world, with a valuation of £7.19 billion

Several factors determine the total worth of a sports team, including revenue, operating costs, and success. We wanted to determine which sports teams were worth the most in our seeding list. 

Dallas Cowboys - £7.19 billion estimated worth

Taking the top spot is from the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys, with a valuation of £7.19 billion. The team was purchased by Jerry Jones in 1989 for a fee of $150 million. Now, the club takes in $1.1 billion in revenue annually. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, its financial success hasn’t been translated into on-field success. Since 2000, the Cowboys have made nine playoff appearances without winning a Super Bowl, with 1995 being their last championship win. 

New York Yankees - £5.67 billion estimated worth

The New York Yankees take second place, with an estimated worth of $7.1 billion. The Yankees are owned by the Steinbrenner family, who paid just $8.8 million in 1973. Despite being the most successful team in the MLB, winning 27 World Series championships, the last decade hasn’t been as successful for the Yanks, with 2009 remaining their most recent World Series title. 

Golden State Warriors - £5.59 billion estimated worth

Our top three is completed by the Golden State Warriors, with a valuation of $7 billion. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber purchased the Warriors in 2010 for $450 million. Since the takeover, the Warriors have been very successful, winning four championships, six conference titles, and five division titles. 

The Dallas Cowboys’ brand is worth almost 20% of their overall worth, more than any other sports team

The brand value of a sports team is the amount that sponsorships and merchandising contribute to the overall worth of the team. Sports teams attract huge audiences from all over the world, which gives companies the opportunity to collaborate with them, and make the most of the team's global reach. To find out which teams had the most valuable brand, we worked out the percentage based on the brand value and the overall value of the club.

Dallas Cowboys - 19.22% brand worth

Taking the top spot is the Dallas Cowboys whose brand is worth just under 20% of its overall worth.  Ford, Pepsi, AT&T, and Bank of America are some of the big names which sponsor the Cowboys. Another notable sponsor is Lucas Oil, who have purchased the naming rights of the Cowboys’ home stadium. 

Paris Saint-Germain - 18.79% brand worth

In second place is PSG, whose brand is worth almost 19% of the club's overall valuation. The biggest sponsorship deal that PSG currently has is with Nike, who are the Ligue 1 club's kit supplier. PSG also have a shirt and sleeve sponsor, who are Qatar Airways and GOAT respectively. 

Bayern Munich - 18.68% brand worth

Our top three is completed by Bayern Munich, whose brand is worth over 18% of the club's overall valuation. One of Bayern Munich’s shirt sponsors is T-Mobile, who have been collaborating with the club for more than 20 years - one of the longest deals in world football. Bayern Munich’s partnership with Adidas, who is the club’s kit supplier, is an even longer collaboration, which began in the late 1970s. 

Real Madrid earns an estimated £1.162 million per Instagram post, more than any other sports team

Instagram is an excellent way for fans to connect with their club. It’s also a great measure of how popular a club is, which is helpful for businesses wanting to sponsor a team. That’s why we’ve revealed the sports teams with the highest estimated earnings per Instagram post. 

Real Madrid - £1.16m average estimated earnings per post on Instagram

Taking the top spot is Real Madrid, averaging an estimated $1.16m per post on Instagram. Real Madrid has more Instagram followers than any other sports team on our list, with 145 million, confirming their status as one of the biggest clubs in the world. The Spanish club is also one of the most decorated, having won the UEFA Champions League 14 times, La Liga 35 times, and the Copa del Ray 20 times. 

Barcelona - £976,435 average estimated earnings per post on Instagram

Barcelona takes second place, with £976,435 the average estimated earnings per post on Instagram. Like Real Madrid, their fierce rival, Barcelona are one of the most successful clubs in history, winning La Liga 27 times, the Champions League five times, and the Copa del Rey 31 times. It’s a well-anticipated match when Barcelona and Real Madrid play each other, called ‘El Clasico’.

Paris Saint-Germain - £529,331 average estimated earnings per post on Instagram

Our top three is completed by Paris Saint-Germain, who earn an estimated $529,331 per post on average. The French club have won four out of the last five Ligue 1 titles while boasting some of the world's best players, including Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr., and Lionel Messi. 

Jacksonville Jaguars’ estimated earnings are the lowest compared to any of Forbes’ top 50 most valuable teams, at just $8,000 per post

We’ve also revealed the teams with the lowest estimated earnings per Instagram post. 

Jacksonville Jaguars - £6,325 average estimated earnings per post on Instagram

Earning an estimated £6,325 per Instagram post on average, the Jacksonville Jaguars take the top spot. The Jaguars have the fewest Instagram followers compared to any team on our list, with just under 800k. Despite having the fewest followers, the Jaguars had a successful 2022 season, clinching the division and making the playoffs. 

Tennessee Titans - £7,139 average estimated earnings per post on Instagram

The Tennessee Titans take second place, earning an estimated £7,139 per Instagram post. The Titans have almost 900,000 Instagram followers, the second-lowest total on our list. The Titans’ 2022 season was not one to remember, as they were eliminated from playoff contention, having won just seven of their 17 games.

Indianapolis Colts - £7,551 average estimated earnings per post on Instagram

Our top three is completed by the Indianapolis Colts, who earn an estimated £7,551 per post on Instagram. The Colts had a difficult 2022 season, winning just four of their 16 games, and only two teams in the NFL won fewer games last season. Despite their poor season, the Colts have a more significant Instagram following than any other team in our top three, with 936,000 followers. 

PSG’s estimated earnings are higher than any other club on TikTok, with an estimated £51k per video

TikTok is another excellent tool for fans to engage with their favourite teams. It’s great for showcasing short highlights and behind-the-scenes footage. We’ve looked at the estimated earnings per video on TikTok to reveal the sports teams earning the most. 

Paris Saint-Germain - £51,837 estimated TikTok earnings per video

Paris Saint-Germain takes the top spot, with an estimated £51,837 per video on TikTok. PSG has more followers than any other sports team on our list, with 41 million. However, the French team are third for total likes, with just over 609 million.

Real Madrid - £43,960 estimated TikTok earnings per video

In second place is Real Madrid, with an estimated TikTok earnings of £43,960 per video. Real Madrid is also the second most-followed sports team on our list, with 34.7 million. The Spanish giants have also accumulated 762 million likes, the second-highest total on our list. 

Barcelona - £38,029 estimated TikTok earnings per video

Barcelona completes our top three, earning an estimated £38,029 per TikTok video. Despite having the fewest followers compared to our top three, Barcelona have accumulated more TikTok likes than any other sports team. 

The Houston Texans have the worst TikTok presence compared to the top 50 most valuable sports teams, earning an estimated £438 per video

Using Forbes’ list of the top 50 most valuable sports teams, we’ve looked at the teams with the lowest estimated earnings per video on TikTok. 

Houston Texans - £438 per TikTok video

The Houston Texans are top, earning just £438 per TikTok video. Not only do the Texans make the least, but they also have the fewest followers and likes on our list. The Texans won just three out of 16 games in the 2022 season, which was the lowest in the NFL, joint with the Chicago Bears. The Texans have never won a Super Bowl and haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2019. 

Jacksonville Jaguars - £596 per TikTok video

With the second lowest earnings per TikTok video, the Jacksonville Jaguars make their second appearance in one of our top threes. The Jaguars have 470,000 followers, accumulating 5.1 million likes, the third lowest joint with the Green Bay Packers. 

San Francisco Giants - £600 per TikTok video

Our top three is completed by the San Francisco Giants, earning £600 per TikTok video. Despite having the third-fewest followers, the Giants’ TikTok videos have accumulated 11.1 million likes, the 10th lowest on our list. The baseball team last won a World Series in 2014. However, they did manage to win the West Division title in 2021. 

The Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics have the most expensive jerseys, at £120

Wearing the colours of your favourite sports team is one of the ways fans can showcase their support. As fans often do this by purchasing a jersey, we looked on the official websites of each club to find those whose kit costs the most.

Boston Celtics/Golden State Warriors - £120 cost of a jersey

Sharing the top spot are the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors, who both sell their jerseys for £120. This was more expensive than any other team on Forbes’ list of the most valuable sports teams. Among the Celtics’ ranks are Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, both of whom you can get on the back of your $150 jersey. Whilst Steph Curry seems the most obvious choice to get on the back of your Warriors jersey, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are both solid options.

Las Vegas Raiders/Tennessee Titans - £103 cost of a jersey

Second place is also shared between two teams, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Tennessee Titans. The two NFL clubs sell their jerseys for £103, just one cent more than the rest of the NFL teams on our list. Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby are popular choices for the Raiders, with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill the favourites among the Titans.

Liverpool’s jersey is cheaper than any other team on Forbes’ list of the most valuable clubs, at £75

We’ve also used the official club websites to find the sports teams with the cheapest jerseys.

Liverpool - £74.95 cost of a shirt

Liverpool takes the top spot, with a jersey costing just £74.95. Liverpool’s shirts are manufactured by Nike, using the 1974 home shirt as inspiration for the 2023/24 home shirt. Liverpool had a difficult 2022/23 season, finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on Champions League football for the first time since 2016. 

Manchester City - £75.00 cost of a jersey

Narrowly in second place is Manchester City, with a jersey costing £75.00. Manchester City’s kits are manufactured by Puma, who used their home stadium as inspiration for the shirt. The Cityzens made history during the 2022/23 season, winning the treble, which includes the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. 

Pittsburgh Steelers - £79.43 cost of a jersey

Our top three is completed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a jersey costing £79.43. The Steelers had the cheapest shirt compared to the NFL teams on our list, with most NFL teams selling their shirts for $99.99. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls in their history but haven’t won since 2008, despite making eight appearances in the playoffs. 

Methodology

We used Forbes to create a seeding list of the top 50 most valuable sports teams.

We then used Forbes again to reveal the valuation of NFL, NBA, MLB, and soccer teams that made our seeding list. We also used this to work out the percentage of the clubs overall worth that the brand is worth.

We then used inBeat for the estimated Instagram earnings per post. We then averaged the minimum and maximum to get our figures. 

We used Tikcalculator for the estimated TikTok earnings per post. 

We used the official club websites for the cost of an adult jersey. Prices reflect the cheapest option available.  

Finally, we used XE for the conversion rates. 

Data was collected on 25/08/2023.