Real Madrid top of the league of world's most valuable sports teams
Forbes magazine unveiled on Wednesday its annual list of the World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams, which were worth $1.75bn (£1.12bn) on average in 2015, a 31% increase from 2014.
Real Madrid topped the list for second year in a row, although the Spanish giants' value decreased 5% from 2014 to $3.26bn.
Having won a record 10th European crown in 2014, Real Madrid reached their fifth consecutive European Cup semifinal but ended the season-empty handed and replaced Carlo Ancelotti with former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
Forbes attributed the decline in value to the depreciation of the euro against the dollar, emphasising that the club posted profits worth $781.4m
NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys and MLB giant New York Yankees were tied second, with both franchises valued at $3.2bn.
The Yankees, 27-time World Series winners, were one of the first teams to recognise the importance of TV audience when they launched their YES Network in 2002, which managed to become the most-watched regional sports network in 11 of the past 12 years, Forbes said.
The Yankees are the first of 12 MLB franchises in the list, although the most represented award goes to NFL, which, unsurprisingly, placed the highest number of franchises - 20 - in the top-50.
The Cowboys, which generated more than $99.5m last year from both premium seating and sponsors boosted by their 25-year, $500m stadium naming rights deal with AT&T.
Barcelona, who clinched the Champions League, the Spanish league title and the Spain's Copa del Rey last season, ranked fourth valued at $3.15bn, while Manchester United were a close fifth spot, after being valued at $3.05bn.
You may also enjoy reading:
The top-10 most powerful women for Forbes