The Falcons are worth close to five times as much as Arthur Blank paid for the team 16 years ago.

That's according to an annual study of NFL franchise valuations by Forbes, which estimates the Falcons are now worth $2.6 billion.

The new valuation represents an increase of $125 million from a year ago, when Forbes calculated the Falcons’ value as $2.475 billion.

Blank bought the team for $545 million in 2002.

The Falcons are ranked 13th among the 32 NFL teams in value, up from 15th last year.

The most valuable team is the Dallas Cowboys, estimated by Forbes’ 21st annual report to be worth $5 billion. The New England Patriots are next at $3.8 billion.

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