The Forbes Fab 40: The World's Most Valuable Sports Brands 2014 & The Most Valuable Event Brands In Sports 2014

Forbes Fab 40: The Most Valuable Brands In Sports 2014

The Forbes Fab 40 comprises the 10 most valuable sports brands in the world in four distinct categories: businesses, events, athletes and teams. What does it mean to be one of the 40 most valuable sports brands in the world, exactly? It means that the brand commands a big monetary premium to its rivals due to a combination of its size and profitability. How that premium is measured depends on the category.

 A business' brand value is calculated as the estimated enterprise value the business would sell for in an arms-length transaction, less the enterprise value a typical industry peer of equal size would sell for.

1. Nike

Brand Value 2014: $19 billion
Brand Value 2013: $17.3 billion
Nike commands 62% of the U.S. athletic footwear market, including the Jordan brand, and its market share rose 100 basis points in August.

2. ESPN

Brand Value 2014: $16.5 billion
Brand Value 2013: $15 billion
Walt Disney-owned ESPN will generate some $4.5 billion in operating cash flow this year and commands the highest average monthly affiliate subscriber fee, $6.04.


 

3. Adidas

Brand Value 2014: $5.8 billion
Brand Value 2013: $7.1 billion
Adidas has not been helped by repeated injuries to NBA star Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls guard whom it signed in 2012 to a 13-year $185 million deal, the biggest ever.

 

4. Sky Sports

Brand Value 2014: $4.5 billion
Brand Value 2013: $4.1 billion
The top channel for sports in Britain and Ireland has a powerful portfolio, including Ashes series, Formula 1, Heineken Cup, Premier League and La Liga.

 

5. Under Armour

Brand Value 2014: $4.1 billion
Brand Value 2013: $3.7 billion
Under Armour overtook Adidas this year to become the second-largest sports apparel brand in the U.S. with sales of $1.2 billion, 20% more than a year ago, representing 14% of the U.S. market.


 

6. Reebok

Brand Value 2014: $880 million
Brand Value 2013: $1.1 billion
Sales of Reebok branded items have dropped 15% over the past two years, to $2.85 billion from $3.36 billion.

 

7. YES

Brand Value 2014: $680 million
Brand Value 2013: $625 million
YES posted the highest estimated revenue ($540 million) and operating income ($270 million) of any regional sports network in 2013.

8. NESN

Brand Value 2014: $525 million
Brand Value 2013: $510 million
Since the Red Sox won the World Series in 2013, NESN, the team's regional sports channel, increased its monthly affiliate subscriber fee to $4.22 from $3.91.


 

9. MLBAM

Brand Value 2014: $520 million
Brand Value 2013: $480 million
MLBAM’s rapid growth, top-shelf client portfolio and fat margins have enabled it to become bigger and more profitable than any other technology business in sports.

10. UFC

Brand Value 2014: $440 million
Brand Value 2013: not listed
Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world's largest promoter of mixed martial arts events and the UFC brand is now synonymous with MMA.

 

1. Super Bowl

Brand Value 2014: $500 million
Brand Value 2013: $464 million
The cost for a 30-second television commercial during Super Bowl XLVIII was $4 million, 44% more than 10 years ago.

2. Olympic Games (Summer)

Brand Value 2014: $348 million
Brand Value 2013: $348 million
At the London games in 2012, domestic sponsors paid a total of $1.1 billion, with top-tier sponsors paying between $80 million and $130 million.

3. Olympic Games (Winter)

Brand Value 2014: $285 million
Brand Value 2013: $123 million
NBC sold out its advertising inventory weeks before the Sochi Games began and took in more than $800 million, surpassing the $775 million in rights fees it paid.

4. FIFA World Cup

Brand Value 2014: $170 million
Brand Value 2013: $160 million
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil generated a record $4.2 billion (based on September exchange rates) in revenue and $2.1 billion in profit ($546 million of which will be divvied up amongst the competing nations) for FIFA.

 

5. NCAA Men's Final Four

Brand Value 2014: $143 million
Brand Value 2013: $137 million
A crowd of 79,238 packed AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to see Connecticut defeat Kentucky for the title year, the largest ever for a college basketball final.

 

6. UEFA Champions League

Brand Value 2014: $139 million
Brand Value 2013: $117 million
In November 2013, BT Group won the exclusive rights to show 350 live Champions League and Europa League matches in the UK for three seasons from the 2015-16 season by agreeing to pay an average of $390 million year, more than double the combined amount Sky and ITV (who are the current incumbents) are paying UEFA.

 

7. MLB World Series

Brand Value 2014: $113 million
Brand Value 2013: $135 million

The average 30-second television advertisement cost $465,000 during the 2013 Fall Classic, 3.3% more than the previous year.

 

8. WrestleMania

Brand Value 2014: $105 million
Brand Value 2013: not listed
WrestleMania 30 reached a record 1 million households in the U.S. on the WWE Network and pay-per-view combined, the first time WWE's main event has eclipsed this mark domestically.
 

9. Daytona 500

Brand Value 2014: $100 million
Brand Value 2013: $98 million
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2014 Daytona 500, taking home $1,506,363 and the total purse for the 56th running of The Great American Race was $19,784,864, a new record.

10. Kentucky Derby

Brand Value 2014: $99 million
Brand Value 2013: $97 million
NBC Sports’ coverage of the 140th Kentucky Derby, won by California Chrome, averaged 15.3 million viewers, the fourth time in six years (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014) that the race averaged more than 15 million viewers (from 1991-2008 the Kentucky Derby average viewership did not reach 15 million).