Established on January 28, 1960, the National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys is a team worth celebrating. From five Super Bowl championships to its beautifully talented cheerleaders, which have cheered the team to victory over the past years.
Dallas Cowboys remain one of my favorite teams. The Cowboys cheerleaders have grown to become a unique brand for many years. The Cowboys cheerleaders have modeled NFL cheerleaders into their current status. They generate around one million US dollars per season from the franchise.
Dallas Cowboys Net Worth
Dallas Cowboys was recently listed as the number two most valuable sports franchise by Forbes and highest in the whole of NFL, valued at 1.65 billion US dollars. Not too long ago, the franchise has developed ways to make money off its cheerleaders.
While cheerleaders don’t rake-in a lot of money to an NFL franchise, reports reveal that a squad generates around 1 million dollars per season.
A Brief History Of Cheerleading In The NFL
Cheerleading has been around for over 50 years in the NFL. It started in the sixties when the Baltimore Colts (renamed Indianapolis Colts) introduced the first-ever NFL cheerleading squad. Many other teams copied this concept and formed other cheerleading squads as well.
However, the Dallas Cowboys were the ones that made NFL cheerleaders the way they operate today with revealing costumes and elaborate dance routines.
Cheerleading has been developing as a sport in the US for quite some time. Currently, cheerleading has an estimated three million active participants, which makes it attractive to sponsors. A company named Varsity Spirit, which is responsible for catering to cheerleading needs, generated revenues approaching 150 million US dollars last year.
An American Cheerleading magazine made its entry in 1994. Currently, the magazine boasts over 200,000 copies in circulation. The magazine also has over a million readers in America alone.
GTM Sportswear, one of Varsity Spirit’s main competitors, signed sponsorship agreements with eleven NFL teams:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Buffalo Bills
- Cincinnati
- Denver Bronco
- Indianapolis Colts
- Minnesota Vikings
- New Orleans
- San Francisco 49ers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tennessee Titans
GMT Sportswear will be responsible for providing the cheerleading teams with team kits in exchange for promotional elements like:
- Advertisements during games and events,
- featuring the company’s logo on the team’s websites, photo cards, program ads, season tickets, personal appearances,
- radio spots.
NFL Cheerleader’s Salaries
Reports in the last two years reveal the salaries of NFL cheerleaders. Some claimed they earn $150,000 to $350,000 annually.
Sports economic magazine revealed details of the cheerleader’s earnings per hour, weekly, and per match. The report changed the misconception that American NFL cheerleaders are paid big money and are living in luxury. According to reports by Crunchysports, professional NFL cheerleaders collect maximum annual earnings of $80,000.
In 2014, some cheerleaders spoke up about the insignificant salaries of cheerleaders in the NFL. According to their complaint, NFL cheerleaders are paid salaries far below the minimum wage.
Oakland Raiders cheerleaders took action by filing a lawsuit that changed everything. By the end of 2019, the lawsuit made some impact on the salary of cheerleaders. A sports blog reported that cheerleaders who previously earned a minimum of $5 per hour now earn $15 per hour.
The top 5 highest paid NFL cheerleaders in 2020 are:
- Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders,
- Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders
- Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders
- Buffalo Jills Cheerleaders
- Caroline Topcats Cheerleaders
How Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Earn Money
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make most of their money through merchandise. The Cowboys run a camp every summer to enroll aspiring cheerleaders where each participant must pay a sum of $189 for a three-day session.
They also print and market an annual swimsuit calendar. The team makes an approximation of $500,000 per season through appearances. They charge nothing less than $200 per hour for each cheerleader present.
Despite topping the ranks as the most famous cheerleaders in the world, reports show that they make $50 per game.
Putting the figures together amounts to $200 per month. The rate doesn’t count for the hours of practice and preparations these cheerleaders have put in to bring their best cheer to the game.
Conclusion
Today, cheerleading is not only a part of America’s sporting culture in sports such as baseball and football but has grown to become a globally accepted trend. NFL cheerleading teams are growing into brands even though college cheerleading sponsorships are very rare.
Hollywood and other movie industries around the world have made numerous movies involving cheerleaders. Cowboys cheerleaders are also famous for appearing on TV and reality shows.
Cheerleading is also a part of some video games for game lovers. They are most popular in Nintendo and Wii systems.
