CHART: MLB Teams Are Growing In Value Faster Than NFL Teams

The average NFL franchise is now worth just under $1.2 billion, up 5.2% from last year, according to the latest valuations released by Forbes.com.

However, while the value of NFL franchises are growing again after three years of almost no growth, Major League Baseball teams are narrowing the gap.

Just three years ago, the average NFL franchise ($1.0 billion) was worth more than twice as much as the average MLB franchise ($491 million). This year, NFL teams ($1.2 billion) are only worth 56.7% more than MLB teams ($744 million).

One big difference is that television revenue in the NFL is tied to national television contracts. In MLB, teams have their own local TV contracts and in recent years, the value of those deals has skyrocketed...