Jerry Jones doesn’t win Super Bowls, but he sure wins millions: the Cowboys dominate the business

In the NFL, winning is everything. Or at least that’s what we thought—until Jerry Jones proved you can build a dynasty from the boardroom. The Dallas Cowboys haven’t touched the Vince Lombardi Trophy since 1995, and they haven’t even reached a conference championship in thirty years. Yet they’re still the most profitable franchise in the world. How? Simple: vision, rebellion, and a blue star that shines brighter on Wall Street than on the field.

Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million. At the time, the team was drowning in debt and far from relevant. Today, according to Forbes, the franchise is worth over $12.8 billion. In 2023 alone, they generated $564 million in operating income—twice as much as any other team. And no, it’s not magic. It’s strategy.

A matter of strategy

According to Thesportsrush, Jerry Jones didn’t just transform the Dallas Cowboys—he rewrote the NFL’s business model. In the 1990s, he challenged the league’s centralized sponsorship deals and signed exclusive partnerships with brands like Nike, Pepsi, and American Express, directly defying the NFL’s official contracts with Coca-Cola and Visa. The league sued him. Jerry Jones countersued. And he won. That victory opened the door for franchises to negotiate their own commercial deals, permanently changing the economics of pro football.

The Dallas Cowboys jumped 25% in value, from $10.32 billion to $12.8 billion in the last year pic.twitter.com/3VevvywUyx

— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) August 13, 2025

With that revenue, Jerry Jones built AT&T Stadium—a $1.3 billion colossus that feels more like a cathedral of entertainment than a football venue. AT&T alone pays over $19 million annually for naming rights. The stadium features luxury suites, private clubs, and an experience that goes far beyond the game. The Dallas Cowboys stopped being just a team—they became a global brand.

No titles, but plenty of power And while championships haven’t arrived, the ratings have. The Dallas Cowboys are the most televised, most talked-about, and most followed team in the NFL. In 2024, a documentary series titled “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys” was announced, chronicling how Jerry Jones turned a struggling franchise into the most valuable team in the world.

Jerry Jones understood long before anyone else that football isn’t just played on Sundays. It’s played in boardrooms, in advertising deals, and in pop culture. Love him or hate him, his legacy is written: disruption builds dynasties—even if the trophies are financial.

 

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Una publicación compartida de Netflix US (@netflix)