Benzinga - by Chris Katje, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Owning a professional sports team continues to be a goal of investors, celebrities and athletes. The likes of Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg were among the interested parties in acquiring the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators.
While the duo missed out on buying the team, there are several ways investors can buy a stake in an NHL franchise.
What Happened: The 2022-2023 NHL season is underway with rookie Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks among the top storylines of the season.
A new report from Sportico shows the increased valuations of NHL franchises, which are up an average of 29% to $1.31 billion.
Here's a look at the top teams, how they compare to other leagues and how investors can get a piece.
The Ottawa Senators were sold for $950 million to a group led by Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer. The team sale generated strong interest from multiple parties and saw the final sale price come in at $950 million, which was around seven times the company's annual revenue.
This marked a sharp increase in valuation and multiple as most recent NHL team sales came in the two- to four-times revenue multiple range according to Sportico.
The NHL could explore expansion beyond the current 32 teams, but right now there are no NHL franchises for sale on the market.
According to Sportico, these are the 10 most valuable NHL franchises, with a year-over-year increase in valuation.
The valuations of the NHL teams pale in comparison to those of the NFL and NBA. Of the 152 teams in the North American sports leagues tracked by Sportico, the top-ranked NHL team comes in at #54 on the list. The top 10 NHL teams rank in the top 95 of the North American league franchises.
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Public NHL Teams: While most investors don't have enough money lying around to buy an NHL franchise for hundreds of millions of dollars or $1 billion or more, there are ways to invest in the success of the leagues and franchises.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the most valuable NHL franchise and are partially owned by two publicly traded companies. Both Rogers Communications (NYSE:RCI) and BCE Inc (NYSE:BCE) own 37.5% each in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is the owner of the Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League), Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Marlies (AHL), several other sports teams and several sports facilities including ownership of Scotiabank Arena, where the Maple Leafs and Raptors play.
Along with its ownership of the NHL assets, Rogers Communications is also the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) and its Rogers Centre stadium.
The second highest-valued NHL team is also owned by a publicly traded company with the Rangers part of the Madison Square Garden Sports Corp (NYSE:MSGS). Along with the ownership of the Rangers, the company also owns the New York Knicks (NBA), Hartford Whalers (AHL), a G-League franchise and a 2K gaming franchise. The Knicks often rank as a top five most valuable NBA team, giving the company two huge sports assets.
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is the owner of Comcast Spectator, which is the sports and entertainment arm of the company. Comcast Spectator owns the Philadelphia Flyers and several other sports teams.
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