Bills among top 40 sports franchises

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Buffalo Bills are considered one of the top 40 valued sports franchises on the planet. Should fans who want to keep the Bills in Buffalo cheer this news?

If you ask me, I think it's good news. The numbers put out by Forbes Magazine show that Buffalo, one of the smallest markets in professional sports, can be home for one of the world's most valuable sports franchises. The Bills ranked 33rd on the list of most valuable sports teams in the world.

The numbers come from Forbes Magazine, part of their regular ranking of the value of sports properties worldwide. And without providing much detail as to methodology, Forbes says the Bills are ranked 33rd in the world among the most valuable sports teams.

According to Forbes, the Bills franchise is worth $909 million.

-All 32 NFL franchises are ranked among the top fifth in the world, indicative of the NFL's dominance of the sports landscape.

-And the Bills rank ahead of six other NFL teams: the 49ers, the Lions, the Jaguars, Falcons, Vikings, and Raiders. The fact that there's no debt load on Ralph Wilson Stadium makes the Bills especially valuable, comparatively speaking.

-And it may come as a surprise, but at $909 million, the Bills are worth more than several flagship major league baseball franchises, including the Red Sox, Mets, and Dodgers.

The Forbes report makes special note of the Bills deal in Toronto, the five year plan to play eight games in the Rogers Centre. Now in its third year, the Toronto deal has apparently increased the value of the Bills franchise.

Three years ago, the Bills were worth $885 million according to Forbes. Now, the magazine says they're worth $909 million, a three percent increase in value since the deal with Rogers Communications was made.

Would the Bills be worth more in a larger market? No question. But that's been the case for the last 25 years or more. The important take-aways from this survey to me are that the Bills lack of debt service makes them work in Buffalo right now. And that the deal to play some games in Toronto has enhanced the franchise value, and maybe its future in Western New York.