The Los Angeles Rams captured headlines prior to the 2016 NFL season when they announced their plans to relocate to Southern California. Owner Stan Kroenke caught plenty of flak from St. Louis for returning his team to the bright lights of Hollywood.
Despite Kroenke’s mixed resume as an owner of multiple sports franchises, there is no denying his shrewd business acumen. According to Forbes, the Rams are the 12th most valuable sports franchise:
The Rams were the biggest gainer, moving from outside the top 50 to No. 12 with a worth of $2.9 billion. The value of the franchise doubled by our count with the team’s relocation from St. Louis to Los Angeles last year. Owner Stanley Kroenke is footing the bill for a $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood, Calif., to house the Rams and newly relocated Chargers. The stadium is projected to open for the 2020 NFL season.
While there was an expected boost to the team’s value following their relocation, their sudden jump to the 12th spot comes as a bit of a surprise. Prior to last season, the Rams had never even managed to crack Forbes top 50 teams.
Checking in ahead of Los Angeles are the teams one would expect such as the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and the Washington Redskins. Of course, the Rams still have to pay off a $550 million relocation fee which they will split with their new tenants in the Los Angeles Chargers. With two teams now in Los Angeles, one can expect their value to continually increase.
