American sport franchise are insanely valuable. Between the ticket sales the TV deals and all that merchandise, it's not a surprise that teams are worth so much. Forbes ranked the value of every MLB franchise, and we've narrowed it down to the five most valuable and five least valuable franchises in the league. Here they are:
FIVE MOST VALUABLE FRANCHISES
5) San Francisco Giants - $2.65 Billion
The Giants' value rose by 18 percent from last year, which is a truly tremendous rise. With three World Series titles since the 2010 season, they've become one of the best teams year-in and year-out.
4) Chicago Cubs - $2.68 Billion
Winning the World Series for the first time since 1908 sure can do a lot for a franchise. The value of the Cubs rose by 22 percent from last season, the most of any team on this list.
3) Boston Red Sox - $2.7 Billion
Boston finds themselves at the top of this list year in and year out, so it's no surprise to see them at the No. 3 spot. They have the highest average ticket price of any team in the league.
2) Los Angeles Dodgers - $2.75 Billion
The Dodgers rose by 10 percent and are one of most valuable baseball teams. Given their payroll of over $200 million this year, that shouldn't be a major surprise.
1) New York Yankees - $3.7 Billion
The Yankees rose by nine percent and are the top MLB team. The Yankees' success in 2016 comes despite a drop in attendance. Of course, they still led the American League in attendance.
FIVE LEAST VALUABLE FRANCHISES
26) Milwaukee Brewers - $925 Million
The Brewers have the lowest payroll in the league and haven't made it to the playoffs in quite some time, so it's not a surprise to see this rebuilding franchise here.
27) Cleveland Indians - $920 Million
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Turns out, a run to the World Series didn't significantly boost the value of the Indians. However, the team was priced around $800 million in 2016, and they've shown a 15 percent increase.
28) Cincinnati Reds - $915 Million
Cincinnati's attendance dropped by a remarkable 22 percent last season, largely due to a lack of success on the field. As a result, their franchise value rose just one percent, the least amount in the league.
29) Oakland Athletics - $880 Million
The A's terrible stadium and lack of success has put them in this spot, but their value did rise a stunning 21 percent from last season.
30) Tampa Bay Rays - $825 Million
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No surprise to see the Rays here. They're in a tiny market, have had the lowest attendance in the league for five straight years and haven't had a winning season in three years.
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