When the Los Angeles Rams finally returned home prior to the 2016 NFL season, the reunion with its native fans in the second-largest media market in the nation was expected to spur an uptick in the franchise’s value. However, even the savviest economic minds would have had difficulty projecting just how quickly it would happen.
After doubling their value by simply relocating Los Angeles, the Rams now maintain their status as the league’s sixth most valuable NFL franchise at $3 billion, according to Forbes. The Rams shot up the rankings following the move, going from 28th on the list in 2015 to sixth in 2016.
The Dallas Cowboys are far and away the most valuable sports franchise in the world at an estimated $4.8 billion. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills are dead last at $1.6 billion.
Los Angeles has caught plenty of flak lately from local media about the supposed lack of fan interest in terms of attendance, however, that is hard to believe considering the Rams have seen about as much growth as the other teams ahead of them on this list, despite their atrocious inaugural debut in 2016.
Some also speculate that being in the Los Angeles market is the only thing keeping them afloat for the time being. However, that same notion does not hold true for the newly-dubbed Los Angeles Chargers — who saw only a slight increase in value after relocation.
