Los Angeles,  July 24: The Dallas Cowboys top Forbes' list of the world's most valuable sports clubs for the fourth straight year as English Premiership giants Manchester United slipped four places to sixth. In figures released on Tuesday, Forbes pegged the value of the Cowboys at $5 billion (4.484 billion euros). The NFL club owned by Jerry Jones generate twice as much sponsorship and seating revenue at their AT&T Stadium than any other team, the financial publication said. Forbes 100 List of Highest-Paid Athletes: Lionel Messi Pips Cristiano Ronaldo to Take Top Position, Virat Kohli Lone Indian in the List.

Major League Baseball's New York Yankees jumped from fifth last year to second, it's value coming in at $4.6 billion. The values take into account earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Twenty-six of the NFL's 32 teams appear on the list of the 50 most valuable clubs in the world.

The Yankees are among seven Major League Baseball teams to feature.

La Liga giants Real Madrid ($4.24 billion) and Barcelona ($4.02 billion) and the NBA's New York Knicks ($4 billion) round out the top five. Manchester United saw their value drop from $4.12 billion to $3.18 billion. United endured a dismal 2018-19 campaign, finishing sixth in the Premier League and missing out on a place in the Champions League.

Success on the field is not the only guarantor of value, however. The Cowboys go into the 2019 NFL season as the defending NFC East division champions, but they haven't reached the Super Bowl since winning Super Bowl 30 after the 1995 season. Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli is the sole Indian in the list.

Nevertheless, nine of the 50 highest-rated US sports TV broadcasts in 2018 were regular-season Cowboys games, Forbes noted. Their popularity has helped Jones generate an estimated $340 million in sponsorship and premium seating revenue at their home stadium.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2019 01:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).