Operating income of National Football League franchises 2018

The Dallas Cowboys had an operating income of 420 million U.S. dollars in 2018, the largest of all the NFL teams and almost double the figure of the team ranked second, the New England Patriots. At the other end of the rankings, the Oakland Raiders had the smallest operating income in the league at 28 million U.S. dollars.

Cowboys top the rich list

Operating income refers to how much of a team’s revenue will become profit after deducting operating expenses, such as wages. The average operating income of an NFL team was around 102 million U.S. dollars in 2018. The Cowboys generated overall revenues of 950 million U.S. dollars in 2018 and not only ranked as the most valuable NFL team, but also the most valuable sports team worldwide – despite not playing in the Super Bowl since the 1995 season.

Raiders gamble on Las Vegas move

The annual revenue of the Oakland Raiders has increased since 2001, but it was still the lowest of all 32 NFL teams in 2018. However, this may change over the next few years because the franchise is moving to a new stadium in a new city: Las Vegas. The team is scheduled to play as the Las Vegas Raiders from the start of the 2020 NFL season, and the relocation is expected to generate more revenue from sponsorships, especially from the naming rights deal for the new stadium.