FORBES magazine has just released its latest annual list of the 400 Richest Americans. On this list, 22 are representatives of the Sports Industry. It appears that the addition of a new stadium, ballpark, or arena will increase their net worth by at least $500 million. A Regional Sports Network (RSN) will also bring in additional revenue for the organization (Ex. YES Network-NY Yankees).

The only deceptive part of the net worth calculations for the “Sports Owners” is that many of their organizations are saddled with debt. We also have two of the most popular leagues (NFL, NBA) potentially locking-out its players in 2011. In addition, many teams have cut the prices of their tickets and some were even subjected to blackouts due to not selling out home games.

FORBES magazine has released its latest report on Major League Baseball team values. The New York Yankees are listed as the most valuable team at $1.6 billion. Winning the World Series and playing in a new stadium probably played a role in the Yankees 7% increase in net worth from the previous year. 

The MLB team with the lowest value is the Pittsburgh Pirates. According to FORBES, the Pirates earned $15.6 million in ’09. However, they received $40 million in revenue sharing from their counterparts. According to FORBES, the Pirates are worth $289 million. Ironically, they are hosting an upcoming Career Fair on April 16, 2010. Maybe some of its new employees can bring some spark to the organization.