According to Forbes.com, the Detroit Tigers had an operating loss of about $29 million dollars in 2010. However according to the same report, the team’s overall value managed to increase despite the loss. The Tigers are among three teams in the MLB that lost money in 2010. The other two teams were the New York Mets who lost $6 million and the Boston Red Sox who lost $1 million. Detroit, the New York Mets and Boston were among the top six teams with the highest payroll in the league.
With the overall increase in value, the Tigers are now up to 21st in the league a jump from last year at $385 million. The New York Yankees are the most valuable franchise in MLB at at $1.7 billion, followed by the Red Sox at $912 million. The Pittsburgh Pirates are the leagues least valuable team (in more ways than one) at $304 million.
Here is an excerpt from the Forbes report by way of the Detroit Free Press…
The Tigers continue to be among the worst teams in the American League when it comes to getting a return on their payroll. … Ticket revenues dropped last season as the Tigers cut prices 14%, yet attendance still fell 4%.
Source: Forbes.com, Detroit Free Press
