Forbes Values Bulls At $2.5 Billion, 4th-Most In NBA
(CBS) The Bulls are worth $2.5 billion, Forbes estimated in its newest release of NBA franchise valuations that came out Wednesday.
That $2.5 billion figure makes the Bulls the league's fourth-most valuable franchise, trailing the Knicks ($3.3 billion), Lakers ($3 billion) and Warriors ($2.6 billion). It's also an uptick in the Bulls' worth over a year ago, when Forbes valued the franchise at $2.3 billion, which was the third-highest in the NBA. With the help of a 73-win season, the Warriors have since passed the Bulls in estimated worth in the past year.
The Celtics check in at fifth in value at $2.2 billion. The average franchise is worth $1.36 billion, per Forbes.
The Bulls have led the NBA in attendance in each of the past seven seasons and currently top that list again this year, though there has been a noticeable uptick in no-shows at the United Center as the Bulls are 27-29 and have produced an inconsistent on-court product.
The worth of NBA franchises has skyrocketed in recent seasons in large part because of a massive new league television deal that went into effect for the 2016-'17 season.
