The Indiana Pacers are worth $840 million according to Forbes’ latest valuations of NBA teams.
It appears you would have needed most of the winning from the recent $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot if you wanted to buy the Indiana Pacers.
Coming in at No. 23 on Forbes’ list of the most valuable franchises in the NBA, the Pacers are worth $840 million. That’s $10 million more than a year ago but up more than $400 million from two years ago when they were worth $383 million. Forbes says Indiana has $138 million in revenue and an operating income of $19 million with 18% debt they have to manage as well.
Data curated by PointAfter
The New York Knicks top the list at $3 billion, the fourth most valuable franchise in U.S. sports. The sale of the Los Angles Clippers for $2 billion was the first sign the value of the NBA was increasing dramatically, and Forbes’ Kurt Badenhausen pointed out how sponsorships and TV deals (nationally and internationally) are continuing to drive up prices.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
"The result: The average NBA franchise is now worth $1.25 billion, up 13% over last year on the heels of a 74% gain the previous year after the national media deals were completed.The New York Knicks reclaim the top spot from the Los Angeles Lakers after a one-year hiatus, thanks to a new cable deal and the highest premium-seating revenue in the league at almost $90 million. The split of the media and sports assets of Madison Square Garden Company in September precipitated a new media rights deal for the Knicks with the MSG regional sports network. The 20-year pact kicks off this season and is worth $100 million in the first year. We value the Knicks at $3 billion, up 20% and fourth most among U.S. sports franchises behind only the Dallas Cowboys ($4 billion), New England Patriots ($3.2 billion) and New York Yankees ($3.2 billion)."
Pacers’ owner Herb Simon was ranked the 7th most successful billionaire owner by Forbes thanks to a 5-year annualized return of 25.6%. Larry Bird ranked 4th on their GMs list as they evaluated wins versus payroll. Over the past three seasons, Indiana has averaged spending $72.3 million on its payroll, good for a regular season record of 143-102, 21 playoff wins, and a pair of Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
Data curated by PointAfter
Next: Paul George's Jersey 12th Most Popular in NBA
All of this money seemingly should make it harder for owners to claim they are losing money as the talks of another lockout loom in 2017. However, right now things are looking good for the NBA.