Total revenue of the NFL 2001-2023
In 2023, the 32 teams of the National Football League (NFL) generated a total revenue of approximately 20.2 billion U.S. dollars. This shows an increase of nearly two billion U.S. dollars over the previous year.
How does the NFL compare to other major sports leagues?
The NFL is the most profitable professional sports league in the United States. Between 2001 and 2019, the total revenue of all 32 NFL teams steadily increased, reaching 15 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. This figure dropped to approximately 12.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, however, shot back up in 2021 to exceed pre-pandemic levels. In comparison, the revenue generated by Major League Baseball (MLB) teams amounted to around 11.34 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, while the revenue of the National Basketball Association (NBA) was 10.58 billion U.S. dollars in the 2022/23 season.
NFL revenue streams
In the list of most watched TV programs in the U.S., football games dominate the top spots. Duly, the NFL has a diverse array of lucrative revenue streams, such as sponsorships, media partnerships (both broadcasting and digital), ticket sales and concessions. As of February 2024, media deals between the NFL and networks in the United States alone accounted for over 10 billion U.S. dollars annually. Meanwhile, NFL league and team sponsorships provided nearly 1.9 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2022.
Which team generates the most income?
In 2023, the five-time Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys topped the rankings of NFL teams with the highest revenues. That year, the Cowboys were the only team to generate more than one billion U.S. dollars in revenue. The Las Vegas Raiders ranked second with approximately 779 million U.S. dollars in revenue. Meanwhile, the team with the most Super Bowl titles of the last 20 years- the New England Patriots- sat in fourth place with 712 million U.S. dollars in revenue.
