clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Forbes valuation of Bengals set at $1.45 billion

The annual Forbes valuations of NFL teams are out and the Bengals are worth $1.45 billion; a $500 million jump from last year.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Cincinnati Bengals are worth $1.45 billion, according to Forbes' latest NFL valuation, with $296 million in revenue and $55.5 million in operating income.

Despite being ranked 29 in the NFL in 2015, this is a significant jump from previous seasons. Forbes valued the Bengals at $875 million in 2011, $924 million in 2013 (ranked 27th) and $990 million in 2014.

Mike Brown owns a majority stake of the Bengals, but it wasn't always that way. Brown further secured his ownership position after purchasing 176 shares from the Austin Knowlton estate, which had initially tried to sell its shares to investors in New York, in 2011. A clause allowed the Brown family to match the offer, which they did for $200 million.

The Bengals are entering 2015 having qualified for four consecutive playoffs, aiming to secure their first postseason win this season.

Cincinnati's jump highlights a trend across the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys, the league's most valuable team, was valued at $3.2 billion in 2014. They are now the first team valued at $4 billion. New England, the league's second-most valued team, jumped from $2.6 billion in 2013 to $3.2 billion in 2014.

Teams saw a valuation jump anywhere from 25 to 69 percent this year.