The New Orleans Saints are in the top 50 of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, according to Forbes. The publication has the Saints franchise at number 50.
It's a great accomplishment, according to Professor Gabe Feldman, Director of the Sports Law Program at Tulane University.
"People have questioned for many years whether New Orleans was big enough and had enough money to be able to host two pro teams at the same time, and I think the answer is a resounding, 'yes', at this point," Feldman said.
Feldman says it's a combination of winning and the fact that the NFL itself is so valuable.
"I think in this case, what truly makes the Saints such a valuable franchise is the combination of winning and being a part of the National Football League where the television deals are so massive and the unique structure of the league and the relationship between the teams is that most of the revenue in the NFL is shared equally among the 32 teams," Feldman said.
Feldman says with the NBA, the NHL, and major league baseball, most of the broadcast revenue comes at the local level, even though those three leagues do have a national television deal that is shared. He says that means big market teams in those leagues get a bigger chunk of the pie than the small market teams.
But when it comes to New Orleans, Feldman says, "we are doing great, and this is one of the sports capitals of the world, there is no question about it."
