The Philadelphia Eagles are among the top 20 most valuable sports franchises in the world

Forbes has released its annual countdown of the most valuable sports franchises in world for 2013 and the NFC East dominates the list. In fact, the division is the only with more than two teams on the countdown. The Redskins, Giants, Cowboys and Eagles all rank within the top 15 on the list and Dallas even made it into the top five. While the division isn't the powerhouse on the field that it was just five to ten years ago, it is still the biggest money-maker in the NFL.

The Eagles rank last in the division in value but that is like being the fourth-highest investor in Google or Facebook. The team, according to Forbes, is worth a whopping $1.26 billion. To put that into perspective, the team is worth 360 times that of Michael Vick's $3.5 million bonus that he received for reworking his contract. Jeff Lurie has done plenty to make the team more valuable, from his collection of wins to building Lincoln Financial Field.

The Cowboys are the first in the division when it comes to value. While the team knows how to overpay for contracts and overdraft talent, the franchise is still the fifth most lucrative sports organization on the planet. Jerry Jones' "play thing" is valued at more than $2.1 billion. In a world where wins are apparently not needed for financial success, the Redskins rank eighth with Dan Snyder's team worth over $1.6 billion. The New York Giants are just behind the Skins with a value of $1.43 billion.

Looking around the league, some of the most valued teams in the NFL are actually quite surprising. The Patriots are understandably the second-most valuable franchise in the league at $1.63 billion. However, the Houston Texans, who are less than 15 years old, are the 13th most valuable sports franchise in the world with $1.3 billion (nice move Oilers). The New York Jets are ranked 14th, likely do to the market that they play in. New York's "step child" franchise is worth $1.28 billions.

Below is full list of the NFL franchises within the World Top 20:

5. Dallas Cowboys: $2.1 billion

6. New England Patriots: $1.63 billion

8. Washington Redskins: $1.6 billion

9. New York Giants: $1.43 billion

13. Houston Texans: $1.3 billion

14. New York Jets: $1.28 billion

15. Philadelphia Eagles: $1.26 billion

16. Chicago Bears: $1.19 billion

17. San Francisco 49ers: $1.17 billion

18. Green Bay Packers: $1.16 billion

19. Baltimore Ravens: $1.157 billion

20. Indianapolis Colts: $1.15 billion