How much are the Detroit Lions worth compared to their NFL peers? It's a surprisingly difficult question to answer.
Sportico released its annual NFL team valuations on Wednesday, Aug. 12, with the Lions going one step forward and two steps back on the list. On one hand, the Lions saw a greater than $2 billion increase in valuation, from $5.88 billion in 2025 to $8.02 billion in 2026, a 36% jump. However, the Lions also fell two spots in the rankings, from 25th to 27th, six spots from the bottom.
Detroit's valuation per Sportico is a little more than half that of the NFL's top team, the Dallas Cowboys, who are valued at $15.5 billion (a 21% increase from 2025). The team that saw the greatest percentage rise in valuation was the defending Super
Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks ($9.61 billion valuation) at 46%, while the teams who jumped the most in the ranking were the New York Jets ($10.35 billion) and the Atlanta Falcons ($9.78 billion), who each jumped three spots into the top 10.
Two notable teams who hopped over the Lions are the Buffalo Bills ($8.13 billion, 25th place) and the Carolina Panthers ($8.07 billion, 26th place). And bringing up the rear for the seventh straight season is Detroit's first preseason opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals ($7.4 billion), who still experienced a 35% increase in valuation.
The rise in valuation for the Lions could be explained by a rise in valuation for all NFL teams, as Sportico estimates the average team value rose by 31% over the last year, the biggest year-over-year value increase since the publication began these valuations in 2020. The Seahawks were the last NFL team to be sold, fetching a $9.6 billion sales price in July.
The Lions are owned by the Ford family, with Sheila Ford Hamp as the team's principal owner. She is the daughter of William Clay "Bill" Ford Sr., who became team president in 1961 and bought the team outright in 1963.
Hamp's net worth is $2 billion as of January 2025, according to Forbes.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions value rises by over $2 billion since 2025, per Sportico
