Forbes: Talk of new stadium increases Raiders’ value 47 percent

FL commissioner Roger Goodell, left, laughs as Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis talks to the media after an NFL owners meeting Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Houston. (Pat Sullivan/AP)

Many prognosticators expect the Oakland Raiders to make a big move up the NFL standings this season as the team’s young talent continues to develop.

The franchise already has made a major move in another set of rankings — off the field.

When Forbes unveiled its annual list of NFL franchise valuations this week, the Raiders had moved up 11 spots from last year to No. 20 despite generating less revenue than any other team — $301 million in 2015.

The franchise’s surge in value, to $2.1 billion, was the result of its flirtation with relocation to Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

“Despite having by far the league’s lowest revenue, the Raiders shot up 47 percent in value from last year because they are on a path towards a new stadium in Las Vegas, Oakland, or Los Angeles as a tenant with the Rams,” Forbes wrote.

The Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee on Thursday recommended a funding plan for a $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium in Las Vegas that includes $750 million in Clark County hotel room tax funding. The Raiders, Majestic Realty and the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson would provide the balance of the funding with private dollars, as well as cover any cost overruns.

A new stadium could help drive the value of Mark Davis’ franchise even higher.

With their move from St. Louis to Los Angeles and a state-of-the-art venue under construction, the Rams doubled in value to $2.9 billion. The value of the San Diego Chargers increased 36 percent based on a potential move to Los Angeles or a new stadium in San Diego.

All of the relocation and potential new stadium deals helped drive the value of the average NFL franchise up 19 percent to $2.34 billion this year.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj