The New England Patriots have spent most of the past two decades setting the standard on the field. Now, even after the end of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, the franchise remains firmly planted among the NFL’s financial heavyweights.
Sportico’s latest annual NFL valuations put the Patriots at an estimated $10.4 billion, fourth-highest in the league. Only the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants were valued higher.
For Robert Kraft, the number is another staggering reminder of just how dramatically the franchise has changed since he purchased it in 1994.
Patriots Crack the NFL’s $10 Billion Club
New England’s $10.4 billion valuation puts the Patriots in rare company.
The Cowboys once again sit comfortably at No. 1, with Sportico valuing Jerry Jones’ franchise at $15.5 billion. The Rams rank second at $12.7 billion, followed by the Giants at $12 billion. The Patriots come next at $10.4 billion, narrowly ahead of the New York Jets at $10.35 billion.
That means only three of the NFL’s 31 other franchises are currently estimated to be worth more than New England.
It is also another sizable jump for the Patriots. Sportico valued the franchise at $8.76 billion in 2025, when New England also ranked fourth behind Dallas, Los Angeles and the Giants.
One year later, that figure has climbed by roughly $1.64 billion, an increase of nearly 19%.
The Patriots’ place near the top is particularly notable because the organization has undergone one of the largest football transitions in franchise history in recent years. Brady is retired. Belichick is gone. Mike Vrabel now leads the football operation as New England attempts to build its next championship window around quarterback Drake Maye.
Yet the Patriots’ value as a business has continued climbing.
Robert Kraft’s $172 Million Investment Has Become a $10.4 Billion Empire
The contrast with 1994 is almost difficult to comprehend.
Kraft purchased the Patriots for $172 million, which was a record price for a professional sports franchise at the time. He took control of the team on Jan. 21, 1994, choosing to keep the franchise in New England rather than accept a lucrative offer that could have cleared the way for a relocation.
At Sportico’s current estimate, the Patriots are now worth more than 60 times Kraft’s original purchase price.
The transformation was hardly limited to the balance sheet.
New England went on to win six Super Bowls and make 11 Super Bowl appearances during Kraft’s ownership, turning a franchise that once faced an uncertain future into one of the NFL’s defining organizations.
That success helped build a global brand around the Patriots, particularly during the two-decade run featuring Brady and Belichick. Even as the franchise moved into a new era, its position among the NFL’s most valuable teams remained remarkably stable.
Sportico ranked the Patriots fourth in 2025. One year later, they’re still fourth, only now they have crossed the $10 billion threshold.
Patriots Remain One of the NFL’s Financial Giants
The valuation also illustrates just how quickly NFL franchise prices continue to rise.
Only a year ago, Sportico had three franchises worth at least $10 billion: Dallas at $12.8 billion, the Rams at $10.43 billion and the Giants at $10.25 billion. New England sat below that mark at $8.76 billion.
Now the Patriots have joined them.
That doesn’t mean Kraft could simply put the team on the market tomorrow and automatically receive exactly $10.4 billion. Franchise valuations are estimates rather than sale prices. But they provide one of the clearest snapshots of where the Patriots stand within the NFL’s increasingly lucrative ownership landscape.
And New England remains near the very top.
More than three decades after Kraft made what was then an extraordinary $172 million bet on the Patriots, there are now only three NFL teams Sportico believes are worth more.
Only Three NFL Teams Are Worth More Than the Patriots