New Brand Finance data reveals the combined brand value of the 30 NBA franchises rises 34% to reach $14.2 billion, with every team recording growth
LONDON, 10 November 2026 – The combined brand value of the NBA’s 30 franchises has risen 34% to USD14.2 billion in 2026, overtaking that of the 20 English Premier League teams (USD11.3 billion), according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. The NBA remains behind the NFL (USD28.6 billion) but is now almost seven times larger than MLS (USD2.1 billion).
Every franchise increased its brand value this year, with growth ranging from 14% to 88%, a strong recovery from the 8% decline recorded in 2025. A 39% increase in broadcasting revenues across the league, following the new USD76 billion media agreement with ESPN, NBC and Amazon, has been the catalyst for this growth.
Brand strength, however, tells a different story. Brand Finance research shows a gap between the league’s five strongest brands and the rest.
Alfred DuPuy, Managing Director, Brand Finance North America, commented:
“Every NBA franchise has grown its brand value this year, but our research shows that only a handful have built brands with real recognition outside the United States. The NBA’s planned European league could change that. Bids of USD500 million or more in each of its 12 target cities show that the appetite is there. The harder question is to what extent it can coexist with the EuroLeague, whose clubs have already rejected a merger. Two competing top-tier competitions risk dividing fans, sponsors, and talent, so how the NBA positions its European league alongside the EuroLeague will matter as much as the investment behind it.”
The Golden State Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team brand, with brand value up 14% to USD1.4 billion, recovering most of the ground lost after an 18% decline in 2025. The Los Angeles Lakers hold second place at USD1.3 billion following a 34% increase, narrowing the gap to the Warriors considerably.
The New York Knicks maintain third place, with brand value up 51% to USD1.1 billion, passing the billion-dollar mark following their first NBA championship in 53 years. The Boston Celtics have overtaken the Chicago Bulls to rank fourth, with brand values up 44% to USD881 million and 29% to USD795 million, respectively.
The Atlanta Hawks are the fastest-growing NBA brand in 2026, with brand value up 88% to USD525 million, lifting the franchise nine places from 15th to 6th, its highest-ever ranking. An upgrade in brand strength rating from AA- to AA has contributed to this growth, with Brand Finance research showing 25% of fans view the team as well-run and well-managed, five percentage points above the league average.
Four NBA team brands earn a AAA+ brand strength rating, the highest accolade for brand strength awarded by Brand Finance, in 2026. The Los Angeles Lakers are the strongest, leading the league for overall perceptions. The Lakers were also seen as having the most star players prior to Lebron’s move to the Philadelphia 76ers, at more than double the league average of 22%. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have overtaken the Chicago Bulls to rank second and third. The Celtics record the highest fan engagement in the NBA, at 22%, compared with a league average of 12%.
Brand Finance estimates the combined enterprise value of the NBA’s 30 franchises at USD175.6 billion, up from USD163 billion in 2025, against combined revenues of just under USD12.5 billion for the 2025 season. The Golden State Warriors are the most valuable franchise at USD15.1 billion, approximately 4.6 times the value of the New Orleans Pelicans, the lowest in the ranking at USD3.3 billion.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
