Tom Brady effect: Buccaneers make massive financial leaps since signing the G.O.A.T.

Tom Brady has evoked many intangible feelings for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans: joy in seeing them play, pride in winning and bragging rights of being the reigning NFL champions.

This would be the first world championship team from Tampa Bay to visit the White House. The invasion in Iraq prevented the Bucs SB 37 team from visiting. The NHL had a lockout in the 2004-05 season. Last year when the Lightning won, there was the COVID-19 pandemic. https://t.co/mI0MhMAAk1
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) July 16, 2021

But that overlooks the many tangible benefits that signing Tom Brady brought to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a franchise.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Tom Brady

Before Brady rocked into town, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had missed the playoffs for 12 seasons straight. It does not take a genius to figure out that such a track record was harmful to their finances.

In terms of attendance, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were third-lowest in the league, with only the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers below them. Note that at the time, the Chargers were playing in a 27,000-seater stadium. The Buccaneers had an average attendance of 50,728 fans in a stadium that had a capacity of 65,890.

Also Read: Who Is Tom Brady's Wife, Gisele Bündchen?

This contributed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being ranked a lowly 27 out of 32 NFL teams in terms of valuation. Their year-on-year growth before Tom Brady joined was a measly 10%.

How Tom Brady changed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

All of that changed once Tom Brady decided not to re-sign with the New England Patriots and instead came down to Florida.

After signing Tom Brady last year, the Bucs raised season ticket prices 10 to 45 percent.

They went from 28th in merchandise sales to 1st (+1,200%) & their valuation increased by ~$650M, or 2x the NFL average.

It's hard to argue TB12 doesn't deserve more than his $25M salary. pic.twitter.com/Anu3o8vIZF
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) August 6, 2021

Tom Brady was already a household name when he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His jersey was the fastest-selling across the league. Not one other Tampa Bay Buccaneers player made it into the top 50 in jersey sales. Analytical calculations had Tom Brady's 'Revenue Above Replacement (RAR)' $35 million more than former quarterback Jameis Winston.

From not being able to fill their stadium, they raised their ticket prices 10-45%, knowing that the pull of an elite quarterback who transcended football was enough to bring the fans in. At one point, there were virtual queues of over 6000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans waiting for tickets.

Their merchandise sales soared through the roof and they went from 28th to 1st in the league, with Tom Brady retaining the top spot again. And their valuation skyrocketed, adding $650 million to their total value, roughly twice the league average.

Tom Brady has turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from being an afterthought to one of the most marketable teams in the league.

Also Read: What is Tom Brady’s Net Worth