DALLAS, 23 October 2025 – The Golden State Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable brand for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Brand Finance NBA 2025 report. Despite an 18% drop in brand value to USD1.2 billion, the Warriors continue to lead the league, underscoring the enduring commercial power of one of basketball’s most iconic franchises.
The Warriors’ decline reflects a period of transition as the team moves beyond its championship dynasty era. However, the franchise continues to benefit from a global fanbase built during its decade of dominance and the commercial advantages of the state-of-the-art Chase Center arena, sustaining its leadership even as the on-court era evolves.
Hugo Hensley, Head of Sports Services, Brand Finance, commented:
“The Warriors’ position at the top of the ranking - even in a period of transition - shows how enduring brand equity can outlast on-court cycles. The franchise built a global following and a commercial machine during its dynasty years that continues to deliver value. That long-term brand power is what separates the NBA’s biggest names from the rest of the league.”
The Los Angeles Lakers rank second with a brand value of USD973 million, down 9% year-over-year following consecutive early playoff exits. While reduced postseason visibility has weighed on revenue forecasts, the Lakers remain the NBA’s strongest brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.6 out of 100, placing them alongside leading global consumer icons such as Coca-Cola and Nike. Their unparalleled awareness and cultural resonance continue to make them one of the most powerful franchises in world sport.
The New York Knicks have climbed into third place, with their brand value increasing 12% to USD720 million following a successful season that saw the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Increased revenues from nine home playoff games at Madison Square Garden strengthened the team’s financial outlook. At the same time, Brand Finance research highlights particularly strong perceptions of the Knicks as “innovative” and “culturally relevant.”
The Chicago Bulls are the fastest-growing NBA brand this year, with a brand value increase of 36% to USD616 million. Rising from seventh to fourth in the ranking, the Bulls’ growth has been driven by new commercial partnerships, including a deal with Foot Locker, as well as their consistently strong international following.
At a total of USD10.6 billion, the NBA’s combined brand value places it roughly on par with the English Premier League (USD10.9 billion) and far ahead of other European soccer competitions such as Spain’s LaLiga (USD5.8 billion) and the German Bundesliga (USD4.5 billion), though still behind the NFL (USD26.5 billion).
Laurence Newell, Managing Director, Americas, Brand Finance, commented:
“While total brand value across the league has eased slightly this year, the NBA remains a global entertainment property. From Shanghai to São Paulo, its teams command cultural relevance that few sports can match. The challenge now is converting that awareness into deeper international engagement and new revenue opportunities.”
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 evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, 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.
