Home

NFL

$140 Million Hobby Led Jerry Jones to Build the Biggest Sporting Franchise in the World

Published 04/25/2023, 3:52 PM EDT

Follow Us

via Reuters

Jerry Jones, the esteemed owner of the Dallas Cowboys, has accomplished an incredible feat by winning three Super Bowl championships. His achievements secured him a position in the highly respected Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has proved to be a smart investor, with the team’s value skyrocketing over the years with Dallas Cowboys. But what is the story behind the success?

Jones shocked the NFL world in 1989 with his $140 million purchase of the Dallas Cowboys. He quickly fired legendary coach Tom Landry, who had been with the team for 29 years. In 2019, Jones and his wife Gene owned 51%, with their three adult children sharing 49% and involved in other family ventures.

Jerry Jones turns hobby into a billion-dollar business with Dallas Cowboys

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Jerry Jones built the biggest sporting franchise in the world by turning a $140 million hobby into a profitable business. When Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys, he saw that the team was under-served and the model was broken.

According to Jerry, no team in his knowledge was making money in sports, and the Cowboys were losing a million dollars a month. Jones had the ingredients he needed: the greatest PR, sports pages, sports shows, and the blood and passion of the college scene.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NFL stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Jerry mentioned recently with Jim Cramer, “First of all it was under served okay the model was broken no team to my knowledge was making money in sports it was a hobby.” Cramer asks, “Well you made it a business.” Jerry responded, “It was a hobby though.”

However, they didn’t have a system to get enough juice marketing to come back around and go again. Jones saw an opportunity to market the Cowboys and make them profitable. After transforming his hobby into a commercial enterprise, the outcome became an undeniable fact.

In August 2021, Forbes reported the Dallas Cowboys, bought for $140m, had $800m in sales, $280m income, and $200m sponsorships, making them the most valuable NFL team.

The financial dominance of the Cowboys

In 1989, Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys from H.R. “Bum” Bright for $140 million. At the time, the franchise was losing $1 million a month, and Jones was criticized for overpaying. As per Forbes’s report, to fund the purchase, he used his oil and gas earnings, sold off other assets such as his interest in the NBC affiliate in Little Rock, and borrowed the rest of the money.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Additionally, for the Cowboys, Troy Aikman was the quarterback from 1989 to 2000.

Even after the financial impact of the pandemic, the Cowboys still brought in over $1 billion in income, a fact that brought a smile to Jones’ face when asked about Washington’s $6 billion bids for their team. Even though the offer for the Dallas Cowboys was tempting, Jerry Jones has emphasized that he has no intention of selling the team.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Dallas Cowboys currently hold a prominent position among the world’s most valuable sports franchises, proudly possessing an astounding total value of $5.6 billion. Furthermore, in 2022, the team earned a considerable sum of $544 million in revenue. Despite their significant financial success, their payroll of $165 million is comparatively lower, ranking them as the sixth richest team in the league.

WATCH THIS STORY – Travis Stop F#** Playin You See This Ex GF Convinces Fans That Travis Kelces Super Bowl Wins Are Absolutely Worthless

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Mohammad Asif Ansari

784Articles

One take at a time

Mohammad Asif Ansari is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports, with a passion for bringing sports news to life through engaging content. As an ardent sports fan, Ansari likes to cover core sports angles. His latest article, “Dallas Cowboys Reportedly Making It Difficult for Aaron Rodgers to Pursue His Dream Team” got a hoard of interested sports readers.
Show More>

Edited by:

Hitesh Nigam