The Braves are worth $125 million more than a year ago, according to new valuations of MLB franchises by Forbes.
The publication’s 21st annual study, released Wednesday, valued the Braves at $1.625 billion, up 8 percent from $1.5 billion last year.
Forbes described the Braves’ first season in SunTrust Park as “an unqualified success off the field with … revenue jumping into the top 10 in MLB.”
Team owner Liberty Media recently disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that the Braves had revenue of $386 million last year, up from $262 million in 2016.
The $1.625 billion valuation, if accurate, means the Braves are worth more than 3-1/2 times as much as when Liberty Media acquired the franchise in a complicated tax-driven transaction in 2007. That deal valued the Braves at $450 million.
The Yankees are the most valuable MLB franchise for the 21st consecutive year, now said by Forbes’ study to be worth $4 billion. The next most valuable teams this year are the Dodgers at $3 billion, the Cubs at $2.9 billion, the Giants at $2.85 billion and the Red Sox at $2.8 billion. The Braves rank 12th among MLB teams.
On average, the 30 teams increased 7 percent in value from last year’s study.