Detroit Red Wings
Description
Franchise value and ownership history
Franchise name/location history (most to least recent):- Detroit Red Wings
- Detroit Falcons
- Detroit Cougars
| Franchise Valuation and Ownership History All amounts in US$ unless otherwise noted. |
|||
| Season | Value (US$) |
In today's US$ |
Hockey Franchise Valuation Rank |
| 1926-27 | $50,000 | $910,452 | |
| Prior to the season, Lester and Frank Patrick sold the Victoria Cougars to the Townsend-Seyburn group for $50,000, originally called the Detroit Cougars. (It was sold for $100,000 according to the book So You Think You're a Detroit Red Wings Fan? / It was sold for $250,000 according to the book New York Rangers - Greatest Moments and Players) | |||
| Source(s): Book: Deceptions and Doublecross | |||
| 1932-33 | $100,000 | $2,361,172 | |
| The Olympia in Detroit went into receivership and Arthur Wirtz and James Norris took it over for $2.5M and landed the Detroit Red Wings franchise in the deal for another $100,000. | |||
| Source(s): Book: The Devil and Bobby Hull | |||
| 1979-80 | $0 | $0 | |
| The Norris family was trying to sell the team for $20M and was unsuccessful. | |||
| Source(s): Book: Net Worth | |||
| 1981-82 | $0 | $0 | |
| The Norris family was trying to sell the team for $13M and was unsuccessful. | |||
| Source(s): Book: Net Worth | |||
| 1982-83 | $8,000,000 | $26,719,171 | |
| In June 1982, Mike Illitch purchased the team from the Norris family for $8M (the whole transaction was $10M for the Detroit Red Wings (NHL), Adirondack Red Wings (AHL) and Kalamazoo Wings (IHL)). (According to the book Brian McFalane's History of Hockey, it was $9M / According to CNBC, it was for $8.5M / According to the book La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens, it was for $7M.) | |||
| Source(s): Book: Icing on the Plains / The Sporting News / The Hockey News / Book: The Russian Five / Book: So You Think You're a Detroit Red Wings Fan? / Forbes / La Presse / Book: Net Worth | |||
| 1986-87 | $16,000,000 | $47,046,802 | |
| The franchise was worth near the bottom end of the US $16M and $20M bracket. | |||
| Source(s): Fortune | |||
| 1991-92 | $70,000,000 | $165,658,272 | 1 |
| Source(s): Financial World | |||
| 1992-93 | $87,000,000 | $199,829,675 | 1 |
| Source(s): Financial World | |||
| 1993-94 | $104,000,000 | $232,031,012 | 1 |
| Source(s): Financial World | |||
| 1994-95 | $124,000,000 | $269,634,327 | 1 |
| Source(s): Financial World | |||
| 1995-96 | $126,000,000 | $266,503,478 | 2 |
| Source(s): Financial World | |||
| 1996-97 | $146,000,000 | $300,005,100 | 4 |
| Source(s): Financial World | |||
| 1998-99 | $184,000,000 | $363,800,994 | 4 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 1999-00 | $194,000,000 | $375,352,383 | 4 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2000-01 | $218,000,000 | $408,022,067 | 3 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2001-02 | $225,000,000 | $409,541,424 | 5 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2002-03 | $266,000,000 | $476,605,515 | 1 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2003-04 | $245,000,000 | $429,242,770 | 5 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2004-05 | $248,000,000 | $423,180,856 | 5 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2006-07 | $258,000,000 | $412,487,723 | 3 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2007-08 | $295,000,000 | $458,563,229 | 3 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2008-09 | $303,000,000 | $453,585,230 | 4 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2009-10 | $337,000,000 | $506,269,693 | 4 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2010-11 | $315,000,000 | $465,580,574 | 4 |
| Source(s): Forbes / Book: Sports Economics | |||
| 2011-12 | $336,000,000 | $481,429,715 | 4 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2012-13 | $346,000,000 | $485,717,148 | 6 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2013-14 | $470,000,000 | $650,244,677 | 9 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2014-15 | $570,000,000 | $776,003,210 | 9 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2015-16 | $600,000,000 | $815,880,516 | 8 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2016-17 | $625,000,000 | $839,287,946 | 8 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2017-18 | $700,000,000 | $920,406,332 | 9 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2018-19 | $775,000,000 | $994,713,472 | 8 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2019-20 | $800,000,000 | $1,008,526,950 | 8 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2020-21 | $775,000,000 | $965,156,491 | 8 |
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2021-22 | $990,000,000 | $1,177,405,904 | 9 |
| According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was between $1.5B and $2B. | |||
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2022-23 | $1,030,000,000 | $1,134,161,257 | 11 |
| According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $1.8B. It was $1.12B according to Sportico. | |||
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2023-24 | $1,200,000,000 | $1,269,314,079 | 15 |
| According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $1.75B. It was $1.37B according to Sportico. | |||
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2024-25 | $2,125,000,000 | $2,183,256,296 | 10 |
| According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $2.5B. It was $1.78B according to Sportico. | |||
| Source(s): Forbes | |||
| 2025-26 | $2,110,000,000 | $2,110,000,000 | 10 |
| Source(s): Sportico | |||