Embracing the Star: The essence of being a Dallas Cowboy, America's Team
By Brad Clement
Cowboys Franchise Value
Despite dominating media headlines about their championship drought since the 1995 season, and their futility in the NFL playoffs, notching only five wins since 1996, the Dallas Cowboys remain the most valuable professional sports franchise in the world. According to Forbes, the NFL now comprises 30 out of the top 50 most valuable sports franchises, the Cowboys reign supreme with a $9 billion valuation, a 13% increase compared to the prior year. With their annual revenue figures now exceeding $1 billion, the Dallas Cowboys continue to exemplify their financial prowess and influence in the sports world.
Cowboys Jersey Sales
As of November 2023, the Dallas Cowboys feature two of the highest jersey sales in the NFL. Jalen Hurts sits atop the list, and two of the brightest STARS in BIG D, Micah Parsons and Ceedee Lamb, are not far behind, ranking second and third respectively in November sales. At 24 years of age, both are former first-round draft picks – Parsons in 2021 and Lamb in 2020. They have quickly become standouts in their respective positions, and their paths to stardom are blazing quickly.
Cowboys Television Ratings
While 2023 NFL ratings have increased (YOY) in comparison to 2022, averaging 17.48 million viewers between TV and digital platforms, an eight percent increase, the Dallas Cowboys are regularly at or near the top of the weekly viewership ratings. Certainly, this is no surprise considering they are America’s team. For example, several of their 2023 contests have been the top-rated game for the week. According to Sports Media Watch, this includes the following accolades:
· Week two – highest rated game at 25.78M viewers
· Week five – highest rated game at 24.29M viewers
· Week nine - highest rated game at 27.14M viewers
· Week ten – highest rated game at 21.73M viewers
· Week twelve – highest rated game at 41.76M viewers
· Week fifteen - highest rated game at 26.34M viewers
· Week sixteen - highest rated game at 31.52M viewers
Other factors, such as the appeal of personalities like Taylor Swift and the Kelce Brothers, coupled with the popularity of Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, also contribute to the NFL’s increasing popularity, but the Cowboys are still supreme. The week twelve Thanksgiving Day game, featuring the Cowboys against the Commanders not only attracted a massive audience, a staggering 41.8M viewers on CBS, but also showcased the enduring appeal of traditional rivalry games. To put it into context, this game was the 2nd highest rated regular season game on record, and it only trailed the 2022 Thanksgiving Day game between the Cowboys and Giants which drew 42.1M viewers.
Cowboys Attendance
When it comes to in-person attendance, love them or hate them, the Dallas Cowboys are number one. They have the highest average home attendance for the 2023 season, averaging 93,594 fans per game. Further, through their eight regular season home games, they have amassed crowds totaling 748,755. The fandom doesn’t end in Texas though. Their road attendance continues to draw staggering crowds as well. Overall, in their first 16 games of the 2023 season, the Cowboys have accumulated 1.32M in attendance, according to ESPN.