The Raptors maintains their lead as most valued Canadian franchise
The Toronto Raptors top the list as the highest-valued Canadian franchise followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. How are they doing in the upcoming season?
To find out, the team at Sportsbet.io gathered data on Canadian sports teams in the NHL, MLB, NBA, and MLS leagues taking into account the teams, their year-on-year growth, and changes in value over the last decade (2016-2024).
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Toronto Raptors soar to the top as highest valued Canadian Sports Franchise
Valued at $4.4 billion, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are currently the most valuable franchise in Canada. A strong effort from the Toronto-based team, who saw their value grow over 7% since the 2016/17 season, where they were valued at under $1.1 billion. No doubt a helping hand from their Championship success in 2019, and their division title in 2020.
In second place are the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the NHL’s most valuable franchises, with a valuation of $3 billion. Despite having the longest Stanley Cup drought in the league since 1967, the team continues to enjoy financial success.
As a result, the NHL team saw an annualized increase of 10% in 2024. This comes as no surprise as they have some of the most talented players in the league. Mitch Marner, one of the best players in the NHL, contributes to this ongoing success.
Following closely behind is the Montreal Canadiens from the NHL, who rank high with a $3 billion reported team value. Their 12% annualised change allowed them to surpass the Toronto Blue Jays’ earnings at $2.1 billion as of writing.
Edmonton Oilers is still the fastest-growing franchise despite recent slowdown
The Oilers had a rapid rise over the past decade, transforming from underdogs into Canada’s 4th most valuable sports franchises. They’re not valued at $2.65 billion with 19% annualised change.
It helps that the Oilers just recently signed Leon Draisaitl to an 8-year contract extension worth $112 million. His salary cap reaches $14 million, surpassing the previous highest cap from Auston Matthews at $13.25 million. Draisaitl’s new contract begins in the 2025/26 season with a contract extending up to 2033.
Which Canadian teams are the biggest losers?
The Winnipeg Jets is Canada’s lowest-performing sports club, both in business and competition. As of writing, they haven’t won a single domestic or conference title nor taken steps in that direction. Their biggest signing as of the NHL 2024/25 season is Dylan Coghlan for a 1-year contract at $775,000.
At the very least, the Jets’ have seen financial growth. Reports show an annualised change of 15% with last year’s value increase at 35%. They are currently valued at $1 billion, putting them ahead of US teams like Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Hockey Club.
On the Major League Baseball (MLB) side, the Toronto Blue Jays, once Canada’s 3rd most valuable sports franchise, now rank 5th with a team value of $2.1 billion. In 2020, they were on par with the Maple Leafs at around $1 billion. Fans of the team discussed their situation online and agreed that they peaked in 2019 and 2021.
The only fan favourites remaining from their 2020 team are Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Other star players like Nate Pearson, Danny Jansen, Cavan Biggio, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr were let go over the next two seasons.
Nevertheless, the Blue Jays remain one of Canada’s most valuable sports franchises in 2025. It is still the number 1 most valuable in MLB but currently at 14th place compared to US teams.
Which Canadian city has the most high-value sports teams overall?
Toronto still has the biggest collective value for sports franchises in Canada. This is compared to all other cities with major league participation across different fields. The city is home to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA, the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL, and the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB. Combined, these teams boast a total value of over $9.1 billion.
Not to mention that Toronto also has the Toronto FC with a 2024/25 value estimation of $725 million. This growth is fueled by their 2017 Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup victory and the club’s increasing confidence among fans under John Herdman’s management in 2024.
The Toronto Raptors still take the lead among all sports franchises in Canada. They’ve also had the best recent performances in their respective leagues so no other local teams are expected to take over their position. Overall, Canada saw an upward trend in value over the past decade (2016-2024), even for their least impressive franchises.
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