New York dominates in list of most valuable sports franchises in the world

Five of the city's pro sports teams are among the 50 most valuable franchises in the world, with the Yankees topping out at No. 3 at an estimated $1.85 billion value, according to a new list from Forbes.

The second-highest ranking New York team, the champion Giants, come in at No. 9 with $1.3 billion, followed by the Jets at No. 12 with $1.23 billion, the Knicks at No. 43 with $780 million and the Mets at No. 49 with $719 million.

That the city is so well-represented is no surprise, said Kurt Badenhausen, the Forbes reporter who compiled the list.

"New York City, in terms of sports franchises, has more money than any other city around the globe, and it makes those franchises extremely valuable, particularly when there's a new stadium involved," he told amNewYork.

Badenhausen added that the Knicks' appearance on the list is especially noteworthy because they're one of only two NBA teams on it. (The other is the Los Angeles Lakers.)

The rest of the list comprises all 32 NFL teams, with most of the remaining 18 spots taken by baseball teams. The top franchise in the world is English soccer team Manchester United, at $2.23 billion, followed by Spain's Real Madrid, at $1.88 billion.