There is a reason that many proclaim that owning an NFL team is a license to print money.
Fans only have to look to Sportico's latest list of team valuations to see why, especially when it comes to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns year-over-year valuation increased a whopping 29%. In 2025, Sportico pegged the team’s value at $6.14 billion. This year: $8.6 billion.
That makes the Browns the 21st most valuable team in the NFL.
Why the leap in worth? In the NFL it can be attributed to a number of factors.
Television ratings that have remained consistently high is one. The NFL, despite farming out its inventory to streaming services, still ranks as the top programming chosen on the linear broadcast networks. When adding streaming contracts and international reach to the equation, it’s easy to see the value.
Merchandising represents another reason. In 2025, the sports merchandise market was worth $38 billion, according to a report from Grand View Research, a market research and consulting company The NFL owns 51% of the market with $20.5 billion in revenue, dwarfing Major League Baseball’s $11.9 billion and the NBA’s $10.9 billion. The market is expected to grow by $1 billion in 2026, but by 2033, it’s expected to be $59.4 billion. Yes, license to print money.
How does the rest of the AFC North fare on Sportico’s list?The Browns may have moved up two notches on the overall list and increased their valuation significantly, but they are not the most valuable team in the AFC North, according to the list.
That honor belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who rank No. 17 with a value of $8.7 billion. (Pffft…what’s $100 million between rivals?).
The next team on the list from the division, the Baltimore Ravens with a value of $8.2 billion and bringing up the rear? The Cincinnati Bengals come in with a value of $7.4 billion and a ranking of No. 32, last in the league.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns' franchise value surges to $8.6B in new NFL rankings
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