The New York Knicks and the NBA: a $15 billion empire spanning sport and global business
The Knicks’ triumph comes at a time of unprecedented growth for the US league, which could generate $20 billion from its expansion to 32 teams and the NBA Europe project
The New York Knicks’ triumph in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs not only ends a 53-year drought, but also represents the clearest demonstration of the economic power achieved by the league led by Adam Silver. The return to the title for Manhattan’s iconic franchise coincides with a period of unprecedented expansion for US professional basketball, which is now firmly on course to challenge the NFL’s leadership.
Madison Square Garden is thus back in the global spotlight, buoyed by a system that has multiplied the value of the teams. According to Forbes, no NBA franchise is now worth less than $3 billion, and three exceed $7 billion: the Golden State Warriors ($8.8 billion), the New York Knicks ($7.5 billion) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($7.1 billion). An elite group joined, among other sports, only by the New York Yankees and a few NFL powerhouses, with the Dallas Cowboys leading the way at $10.1 billion. Overall, the value of the 30 franchises ranges between 130 and 150 billion, including arenas and ancillary businesses.
The figures for the 2024–25 season confirm this trend: total revenue of $12.25 billion, amounting to $408 million per team, with a redistribution scheme that transferred around $400 million to clubs with lower turnover. But the real boost came with the new 11-year, $76 billion broadcast deal with ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video, which has almost tripled the value of domestic rights.
The impact is already evident: for the 2025–26 season, which has seen a rise in viewing figures, gross revenue is expected to reach $14.3 billion, an increase of 12%. The new TV deal guarantees each team $143 million a year, compared to $103 million previously, with an average growth of 7% that will take revenues to over $280 million by 2034-35. Forty years ago, each franchise received just $1.5 million from domestic rights.
By way of comparison, last year NFL teams generated $22.2 billion, Major League Baseball clubs $12.75 billion, National Hockey League franchises $7.7 billion and MLS teams $2.2 billion.
