By Brian French | Florida Authority Network | September 15, 2026
Quick Answer
Florida’s eleven major-league franchises are worth a combined $50 billion or more based on 2026 estimates from Forbes, Sportico and CNBC. The Miami Dolphins lead at $11 billion to $12.5 billion, followed by the Buccaneers and Jaguars at $8 billion to $10 billion each. The Heat ($5.7B–$6.05B) and Magic ($3.9B) anchor the NBA, the Lightning and Panthers sit near $1.9B–$2.05B, the Rays and Marlins at $1.4B–$1.7B, and Inter Miami at $1.35B–$1.45B. All figures are third-party estimates; only the Rays and Lightning have recent control sales to anchor them.
Florida Team Valuations at a Glance
| Team | League | Estimated value | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | NFL | $11B–$12.5B | CNBC 2026; 1% stake sale |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFL | $8.6B–$10B+ | Sportico, CNBC 2026 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | NFL | $8.05B–$9.35B | Forbes, CNBC 2026 |
| Miami Heat | NBA | $5.7B–$6.05B | Forbes, CNBC 2026 |
| Orlando Magic | NBA | ~$3.9B | Forbes 2026 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | $1.9B–$2.05B | Sportico, Forbes 2025 |
| Florida Panthers | NHL | ~$1.89B | Sportico 2025 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | MLB | ~$1.7B | Forbes 2026; 2025 sale |
| Miami Marlins | MLB | $1.4B–$1.5B | Forbes 2026 |
| Inter Miami CF | MLS | $1.35B–$1.45B | Forbes, Sportico 2026 |
| Orlando City SC | MLS | Below $1.12B | Sportico 2026 (not in top 5) |
Ranges reflect differences in methodology. Sportico and CNBC include team-related real estate and businesses, while Forbes generally values the franchise on a hypothetical control sale.
NFL: Three Teams, $28 Billion and Rising
The NFL numbers moved dramatically this year. CNBC’s average NFL team is now worth $10.36 billion, up 35% from a year ago, and Forbes puts the average at $9.5 billion, up 34%, with every team worth at least $8 billion.
Miami Dolphins. CNBC’s 2026 list places the Dolphins among the five teams worth more than $11 billion that round out the top 10. The private market is higher: the Dolphins sold a 1% stake at a $12.5 billion valuation, a figure that included the economics of F1’s Miami Grand Prix and tennis’s Miami Open. Stephen Ross’s control of Hard Rock Stadium and its event calendar is the differentiator; teams with control over their venues and integrated business holdings, like the Dolphins, command inflated valuations.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers rank No. 14 on CNBC’s 2026 list, ahead of the Jaguars at No. 22, which puts them above $9.35 billion by CNBC’s count. Sportico’s 2026 ranking had the Buccaneers among four teams that leaped past the Packers’ $8.59 billion. Forbes valued the team at $6.6 billion in 2025. The Glazer family bought the franchise for $192 million in 1995.
Jacksonville Jaguars. Forbes values the Jaguars at $8.05 billion, a 44% increase from 2025, while CNBC’s estimate is $9.35 billion, up 42%. The gap is the stadium: CNBC adjusts values for teams whose stadium economics are expected to improve soon, such as the Jaguars, whose extensive phased renovation is to be completed by 2028.
NBA: Heat in the Top 10, Magic Climbing
CNBC’s 2026 NBA list has the Heat at $6.05 billion, No. 9 overall, while Forbes puts Miami at $5.7 billion, No. 8. The Heat’s value rests on the Kaseya Center lease, the Miami market and 30-plus years of Arison family ownership.
The Orlando Magic are No. 25 on both Forbes’ and CNBC’s 2026 lists, with Forbes at $3.9 billion. The DeVos family’s RDV Sports has a $500 million-plus sports and entertainment district under construction next to the Kia Center, which is the kind of adjacent real estate that Sportico and CNBC eventually fold into valuations.
NHL: The Lightning Sale Set the Benchmark
The Lightning are one of the few Florida teams with a real transaction price. Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz bought control from Jeff Vinik in 2024 for $1.8 billion. Since then Sportico values the Lightning at $1.9 billion, 16th in the league, though its 6% annual growth trailed the NHL average of 17%; Forbes put the team at $2.05 billion in 2025.
The Panthers are the growth story. Sportico raised the Panthers 51% in a single year, from $1.25 billion to $1.89 billion, on the strength of back-to-back Stanley Cups. CNBC ranked the Panthers No. 23 in its 2025 NHL list. Vincent Viola bought the team for $250 million in 2013.
MLB: Two Rebuilding Franchises Near the League Floor
The Rays were sold to a group led by Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski for $1.7 billion last year, only the second MLB control sale since 2020. Forbes now values the Rays at $1.7 billion, up 36%, on $290 million of revenue and $31 million of operating income. The new ownership selected a site near Tampa International Airport in January 2026 for a proposed $2.3 billion stadium to replace Tropicana Field by 2029, which would reset the valuation if built.
The Marlins, up 43% from 2025, now set the league’s floor at $1.5 billion by Forbes’ count; a separate 2026 ranking puts them at $1.40 billion with $304 million in revenue and 29% debt. The Marlins, Rays and Athletics had the three lowest attendances in the sport and each received roughly $75 million in revenue sharing.
MLS: Messi Made Inter Miami the League’s Most Valuable Club
Inter Miami ranks first in MLS at $1.45 billion on Sportico’s 2026 list, up a league-high 22%, ahead of LAFC at $1.4 billion. Forbes is slightly lower at $1.35 billion but agrees Miami has taken over from LAFC as the league’s most valuable club, with revenue nearly quadrupling in three years. The club was valued at $585 million before Messi arrived in 2023. The new 25,000-seat Miami Freedom Park stadium is the first step in an eventual $1 billion, 131-acre mixed-use development.
Orlando City did not appear among the five MLS clubs Sportico valued above $1 billion in 2026 (the fifth, NYCFC, was $1.12 billion), and the league average is $767 million. The Wilf family, which also owns the Minnesota Vikings, acquired the club in 2021 along with the NWSL’s Orlando Pride.
What Drives the Numbers
Three factors explain most of the spread between Florida teams:
- League media deals. NFL national revenue shared equally by the 32 teams is expected to reach about $480 million per team this season. MLS teams reportedly net around $5 million a year from Apple after production costs.
- Venue control. The Dolphins, Rams and Cowboys own or control their stadium economics; the Rays and Marlins have never had that leverage.
- Transaction multiples. Forbes measured the Rays deal at 5.7 times revenue versus an MLB average of 7.0x, while the NFL average is 10.7x and the NBA 12.9x. The Seahawks sold in September for $9.61 billion at more than 13 times revenue.
Brian’s Take
Florida’s sports economy has a barbell shape: three NFL teams worth roughly $28 billion combined at one end, and eight teams in the other four leagues worth a combined $20 billion or so at the other. The two most interesting numbers on this list are the ones with real money behind them. The Dolphins’ 1% stake at $12.5 billion tells you private buyers already pay above the published estimates when the deal includes F1 and tennis. The Rays’ $1.7 billion price with no stadium in hand tells you scarcity alone supports a floor. The next real data point will be whether the Rays’ Tampa stadium gets financed; if it does, expect the team’s value to move 30% to 50% in a single year, the way the Panthers did.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Florida team is the most valuable?
The Miami Dolphins, at $11 billion to $12.5 billion depending on the source.
Have any Florida teams sold recently?
Yes. The Lightning sold for $1.8 billion in 2024 and the Rays for $1.7 billion in 2025.
Why do Forbes, Sportico and CNBC disagree?
Different methodologies. Sportico and CNBC add team-related real estate and businesses; Forbes values the franchise alone on a hypothetical control sale.
Is Inter Miami really worth more than the Rays?
Not quite. Sportico has Inter Miami at $1.45 billion and Forbes has the Rays at $1.7 billion, but the gap has narrowed sharply since 2023.
How much are all Florida teams worth combined?
Roughly $48 billion to $52 billion using the midpoints of the 2026 estimates above.
Sources and Further Reading
- CNBC – Official NFL Team Valuations 2026 (Sept. 9, 2026): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/09/cnbcs-official-nfl-team-valuations-2026-heres-how-the-32-franchises-stack-up.html
- Forbes – The NFL’s Most Valuable Teams 2026: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2026/09/09/the-nfls-most-valuable-teams-2026/
- Sportico – NFL Team Values 2026: https://www.sportico.com/valuations/teams/2026/nfl-team-values-2026-dallas-cowboys-los-angeles-rams-1234941607/
- Jacksonville Daily Record – Forbes says Jaguars value jumps 44% to $8.05 billion: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/sep/09/forbes-says-jaguars-value-jumps-44-to-805-billion/
- NBC Sports – 2026 NBA franchise valuations (CNBC): https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/2026-nba-franchise-valuations/1911711/
- Forbes – Miami Heat and Orlando Magic team pages: https://www.forbes.com/teams/miami-heat/ and https://www.forbes.com/teams/orlando-magic/
- Forbes – The NHL’s Most Valuable Teams 2025: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2025/12/11/the-nhls-most-valuable-teams-2025/
- Pro Football Network – Lightning’s $1.9 billion Sportico valuation: https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning-1-9-billion-valuation-major-red-flag-as-nhl-market-explodes/
- Forbes – Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams 2026: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2026/03/20/baseballs-most-valuable-teams-2026/
- Sportico – MLB Team Values 2026: https://www.sportico.com/valuations/teams/2026/mlb-team-values-2026-yankees-dodgers-1234887564/
- WUSF – Rays sale to Zalupski group approved: https://www.wusf.org/sports/2025-09-22/tampa-bay-rays-sale-approved-mlb-owners-reports-say
- Sportico – MLS Team Values 2026: https://www.sportico.com/valuations/teams/2026/mls-team-values-2026-inter-miami-messi-1234884047/
- Forbes – The Most Valuable MLS Teams 2026: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2026/02/13/the-most-valuable-mls-teams-2026/
- ESPN – Inter Miami MLS’ most valuable team: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/47888874/inter-miami-mls-most-valuable-teams-2026-5-teams-valuations
