On Monday, Forbes released their list of the most valuable franchises in the NFL. Valued at over $2 billion, the bears ranked in the top 10 most valuable teams in the league.
While still a far cry from the $4 billion the Cowboys were valued at, the Bears $2.45 billion was good enough for eighth place in the NFL ranking.
Forbes reported that the Bears made $352 million in revenue in 2014.
What makes the value even more impressive is the Bears’ relationship with Soldier Field. As Forbes notes, they are one of only six teams in the NFL to play in a stadium without a corporate name attached.
The Bears were ranked eighth to start last season as well, however, with a significantly smaller evaluation. To start the 2014 season, the Bears were priced at only $1.7 billion.
With relatively similar revenue over the last two years, the biggest difference was the overall worth of the NFL. The league average jumped nearly 40 percent in worth over the last year.
Of course, the team value may as well be Monopoly money. The Bears have been owned by the Halas-McCaskey family since the team was founded in 1919. There is no reason to think the family would cash in on the team, even after the now 92-year-old Virginia McCaskey gives up control.
