The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a historic run, having won eight consecutive National League West titles since the 2013 season and now a World Series on top of setting many other franchise bests over that timeframe.
The club had a historic 2019 campaign that saw them win 106 games during the regular season in addition to breaking an attendance record at Dodger Stadium.
While the season ended on a disappointing note, the Dodgers were valued at an astonishing $3.3 billion by Forbes, which was well above the $2.15 billion that Guggenheim Baseball Management paid to purchase the team in 2012.
Despite the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Dodgers have continued to soar in value. Entering the 2020 season, Forbes estimated the organization to be worth $3.4 billion — a $100 million increase from the previous year.
In fact, Forbes revealed that the average MLB team’s value rose by 4% since the 2019 season — good for a $1.85 billion profit.
The New York Yankees remain baseball’s most lucrative organization with a $5 billion valuation, up 9% from last season. The Dodgers take the No. 2 spot, followed by the Boston Red Sox ($3.3 billion), and the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants ($3.1 billion each).
While two months of the regular season have been lost due to MLB’s shutdown, Forbes points to the record profits earned last year that are helping team owners minimize losses.
The Yankees ($683 million) and Dodgers ($556 million) produced the most revenue during the 2019 season, while the Houston Astros generated the highest profit ($99 million). Only the Miami Marlins hovered in the red, losing $6 million.
Kasten shines light on Dodgers’ financial losses
Considering the size of Dodger Stadium and how well the Dodgers draw in gate revenue, they easily figured to be one of the most-affected teams by the 2020 season being played without fans.
Team president and CEO Stan Kasten recently said the Dodgers suffered losses that exceeded $100 million, which would require changes within the organization. That unfortunately wound up being the Dodgers laying off an undisclosed number of employees.
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