NFL projecting $1 billion increase in revenue for 2015

The NFL is projecting more than $12 billion in revenue for 2015, up roughly $1 billion from last year, Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal reports.

The increase was fueled by television money and higher-than-expected local revenue. The NFL has been investing heavily in the in-stadium experience in recent years, which appears to be paying off. 

"You are seeing NFL teams much more add specialty seat products, some all-inclusive tickets, amenities like on-field access, and that is beginning to have a real impact," Jacksonville Jaguars president Mark Lamping said.

The opening of the new Levi's Stadium and utilization of digital advertising also contributed to the NFL's increase in revenue.

The league wouldn't confirm or deny the projected figure of $12 billion, but did not dispute the math Sports Business Journal used to arrive at that number.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, players receive between 47 and 48 percent of what the labor pact considers all revenues. That includes most league cash inflows, such as local and national media, sponsorship deals, tickets and concessions.

Sports Business Journal calculated a per franchise labor cost of $180.83 million ($143.28 million salary cap plus $37.55 million per club in benefits) for 2015. If players received 48 percent of all revenues, the average club revenue would be $376 million, which when multiplied by 32 teams works out to $12.055 billion in league-wide revenue. 

The CBA also permits the league not to share some of its revenue with players, including ticket surcharges, the value of some complementary tickets, money invested in concessions equipment and non-royalty revenue from the Dallas Cowboys merchandising arm, according to Kaplan. That would put the NFL's total revenue higher than the calculated $12.055 billion.