Melinda Caliendo

If you’re like most Americans, you’ll probably spend at least some of your time this weekend watching sports on TV. Which means you’ll also spend a lot of your time watching commercials, branded halftime shows, or answering trivia questions sponsored by a certain insurance company.

Yes, the major professional sports leagues, and the major college sports teams, aren’t just about the love of the game. They’re also big business. Very big business.

The National Football League, for instance, had $12 billion in revenues during the 2014-2015 season, according to 

. English’s top soccer league, the Premier League inked a $7.8 billion deal last year for three years of television broadcast rights in the United Kingdom. The league will get another $1 billion from NBC, which has bought the rights to broadcast the six years’ worth of EPL games in the United States.

Indeed, many leagues are now finding large fan bases on the other side of the ocean. The NFL has been holding select regular season games in London in recent years. Meanwhile, European soccer games can be found on US TV dials almost every day of the week.

All of that has helped to build the name recognition and brand values of some of the major sport leagues’ premier teams. 

 recently went in-depth to find out which 50 sports teams have the most valuable brands. As you might expect, the US has a number of entrants on the list.

 10 most valuable sport team brands, along with the team’s league, championship history, and average annual player salary. For European soccer leagues, we used the team’s total number of UEFA Champions League titles, rather than the number of titles for their domestic sports leagues, since many of the following teams are dominant in their home leagues. The average player salary information comes from Sporting Intelligence’s Global Sports Salaries Survey 2015. All figures are in US dollars.

League: National Basketball Association (USA)

Average Annual Player Salary: $5.9 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $8.0 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $7.7 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $8.1 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $8.6 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $2.1 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $1.8 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $4.8 million

Average Annual Player Salary: $7.3 million

Articles

The ads that take over your TV and computer screens when you watch sports are there for a reason -- sports is big business. These 10 franchises rake in the most revenue.

The 10 Most Valuable Sports Franchises in the World

The joys of international travel can sometimes be hampered by the bureaucracy of passports, visas, customs, and vaccination requirements. Not to mention being corralled into long lines with people you just spent eight or nine hours on a plane with, only to find your first “friendly” face in your new destination is a passport-control officer with a chip on their shoulder.

Being properly prepared for border control is a process as simple as flashing a passport or as difficult as waiting six months for a visa, depending on where your passport was issued. So who has it easiest to breeze around the world, and who has to jump through the most government hoops? 

 together a list of the most powerful and least powerful passports issued. The main driver of whether or not a passport is powerful or not is how many countries its holder can enter without a visa or with a visa-upon-arrival. The power ranking is based upon an average of 5 different groups’ power rankings released in the past year or so.

Along with our power ranking (which is based on a variety of data), we’ve included the 

Henley & Partners’ number of visa-free countries

 and territories that are accessible.  Henley & Partners’ has a thorough explanation of how its numbers were calculated. To see if you need a visa for your next adventure, you can use 

this tool provided by the International Air Transport Association

this page created by the U.S. Department of State.

Continue reading for the 10 most powerful passports:

10. Belgium and Spain (Tie) — 172 countries

These 2 countries have a long history together, as the country we now know as Belgium formerly was ruled by the Spanish monarchy. Being Western European countries, Spain and Belgium have the benefit of being full European Union members as well as 

, meaning travel between other Euro states is nearly limitless.

Canada’s passport can get you just about anywhere, and the stereotype of politeness will usually get you positive reactions abroad. Perhaps that’s why so many 

7. Netherlands and France (Tie) — 172 countries

Belgium’s neighbors also rank highly on the list. Perhaps it is the passports, or perhaps it is the self-assuredness, but both the Dutch and the French seem to get through passport control rather quickly … if you 

Danes have nearly as much freedom to move as any other country in the world, as do the people living in the Danish territories of Greenland and the Faroes Islands. Because Denmark is part of the EU, Danes traveling in non-EU countries where there is no Danish embassy can seek help at any other EU embassy they can get to.

The second Nordic country to grace the list, Finnish passports are extremely valuable. And not just because the pages of their passport are a 

. Finns have visa-free access to Vietnam, as well as a 

Most people wouldn’t consider that passports have a resale value, but Swedish passports are among the 

most popular and expensive on the black market

. There are no limits on renewals, making it very popular. Sweden is among the 5 countries with the most visa-free travel available, with access to 174 countries. According to 

Over the past decade, the number of countries Germans can travel to without a visa or with a visa-on-arrival has increased by 5 new countries: Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and India. A German passport is also handy for making friends while traveling; last year, fellow Europeans voted that they’d most 

While Americans can go to just as many places as Brits or Germans, it 

 for them than their European counterparts. Because tourist entry visas to the US keep increasing in price, many countries increase their entry fees for Americans. Before Chile was included in the US visa waiver program, they charged Americans a “reciprocity” fee equal to the US entry visa. Currently, citizens from all but 41 nations are required to have a visa to enter the US, and 

even those nations are required to get an e-visa

Your name doesn’t have to be Kate, William, or George to appreciate the value of a UK passport. The Brits have access to the most nations without a visa, along with the US, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. According to GoEuro.co.uk, when people were asked where they would prefer their second passport were issued, 

. Many of those folks will be very disappointed; the British government 

issued fewer new passports to naturalized citizens

 in the past year than it has since 2002.

Being properly prepared for border control is a process as simple as flashing a passport or as difficult as waiting six months for a visa, depending on where your passport was issued. So who has it easiest to breeze around the world, and who has to jump through the most government hoops?

The 10 Most Powerful Passports

Whether a casual fan of visiting museums or a collector yourself, there are pieces of art that are recognizable around the world. Irises, The Scream, Water Lillies, the list goes on. But are they among the 

Valuation of art can fluctuate, as different styles and names come in and out of style. Also, as the 

technology of inspecting the authenticity

 of these works improves, some ‘Unknown’ paintings are attributed to the masters … and some “master works” are identified as very, very well done copies. Sometimes, the value of the painting has more to do with 

Intrigued yet? Check out the 11 most expensive paintings sold, as of September 2014, then go to your neighborhood art fair and try to find the next Van Gogh before their work hits these stratospheric prices. All prices are adjusted for inflation and the currency exchange at the time of the purchase.

The newest painting on the list, the 1954 work of Johns—his most famous&mdash;is now on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The oil paint and collage on fabric, mounted on plywood, 

 giving it a very specific look at a time and place in history.

One of 4 versions of the work done by Munch, the pastel-on-board bested the Picasso sale 

 One of the most recognizable images in the world, 3 of the 4 “Scream”s are in galleries across Norway, with only this one in private collection. While not the version that was 

 or 2004, this Expressionist masterpiece is known—and desired&mdash;worldwide.

From Picasso’s “Rose Period,” this portrait of a young boy smoking a pipe was sold to an anonymous buyer, again breaking earlier sales records. 

, the sales price of the painting was “nearly double” the price of previous Picasso paintings, partly because the sellers were the Whitney family estate. The $104.1 million price in 2004 was the first time that a painting had 

The large version of this famous painting hangs 

, but in 1990 a Japanese businessman won the auction for Renoir’s smaller version. Ryoei Saito purchased the painting through Sotheby’s New York for $78.1 million 25 years ago which, when adjusted for inflation, makes it the 8

 most expensive painting ever sold. 1800’s Parisian society would be all a flutter over this transaction.

The sale of this triptych caused a stir in 2013 with a 

 bidding over the phone. Purchased by Elaine Wynn, a noted art enthusiast, the 3 paintings make up 1 of 2 existing full-length triptychs of artist Lucian Freud. The auction house expected this series to be sold for roughly $85 million, and 5 different bidders vied for the Irish painter’s works.

Two days before Ryoei Saito purchased Renoir’s “Bal du Moulin de la Galette,” he purchased the Van Gogh portrait. It was painted in the 

, and is considered one of the most desirable paintings in private ownership. In fact, Saito reportedly sold the painting back to the auction house he bought it from for one-fifth of the previous price. The painting was last on display in 1990, and its 

whereabouts since leaving Saito’s collection

” this Klimt masterpiece was confiscated by the Nazis during World War II, and was only transferred back into private ownership from national Austrian galleries in 2006. That year, cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder 

purchased the portrait from the niece of the woman portrayed

 in the painting for the Neue Galerie in New York City, a small gallery featuring German and Austrian art.

The most recent blockbuster sale, casino magnate Steve Wynn sold the painting for which he 

 at his eponymous hotel. Another portrait of 

, Marie-Therese Walter, the painting was 

purchased by hedge fund billionaire Steven Cohen

. The 2 collectors had agreed to a sale years earlier, but Wynn famously put his elbow through the canvas in 2006, and the deal was postponed until the painting could be repaired.

Another Cohen acquisition, this painting was 

 as part of a large-scale reduction of his art collection in 2006. The painting had hung in a gallery in Tehran, Iran for several years, but was unable to be displayed under rules of the government after the revolution in 1979, and was acquired by Geffen in 1994. 

De Kooning painted 6 different “Women”

 canvases during 1951-1953, with “Woman III” being the last held in private hands.

Shortly after Geffen sold the de Kooning masterpiece, he 

 for an even larger sum. Through private sale, Mexican investor 

David Martinez added to his growing collection

. The painting is thought to be one of Pollock’s first using his famous drip technique, and is part of a series done in 1948 that pushed him further into the consciousness of the art world.

The Qatari Royal Family is making news as one of the big new players in the art world, and they made the biggest splash in 2011 with a 

$250 million purchase of Paul Cezanne’s “The Card Players.”

 Reports of the sale were not made public until 2012, and because the sale was private, the actual price paid is still being debated by some (with some projecting the price at upwards of $300 million). One of 5 in a series, the other versions are displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d’Orsay, and 2 other prestigious galleries. The record-setting painting is expected to be a corner piece of 

 when renovations are completed, now expected for 2016.

Whether a casual fan of visiting museums or a collector yourself, there are pieces of art that are recognizable around the world. Irises, The Scream, Water Lillies, the list goes on. But are they among the most expensive paintings to be sold?

The 11 Most Expensive Paintings in the World

It’s been a very long time since the Euro and the US Dollar were this close in value, making now an ideal time price-wise to explore Europe. But after checking out flight prices just to get over “the pond,” it may seem like the 

Not so! After nearly three years of living in Belgium, we’ve discovered some great economical ways to enjoy Europe without breaking the bank. Here are some of our favorite inexpensive discoveries that have kept us — and our guests—entertained and well fed.

In Bucharest, Romania, my husband and I were quizzed by a skeptical local, “Why did you choose to come to Romania for your vacation?” Our instant response was, “Because Ryanair flies here.” The low-cost airline is definitely not for everyone, but once you know the rules and what you’re getting into, 

. If you don’t need to check a bag, can print your boarding passes out at home, don’t expect a beverage for free, and don’t mind a cattle call for boarding, Ryanair flights are quick and cheap. We’ve purchased roundtrip flights for two people for less than 150 euros. Other low-cost airlines like Wizz and EasyJet similarly forgo luxury (ok, sometimes basic comforts) to offer cheap flights to a host of destinations. The one other caveat is often the flights land in secondary airports, further away from city centers than major airports.

When Americans think of hard ciders, there are plenty of American, English, and Scottish brands that come to mind, but they can get expensive. The tastiest cider we have ever had costs around 1.50 euros in the grocery store, and 3 euros at a bar, for a half liter. 

Kiss Cider is brewed by Estonian beer maker Saku

 (another delicious, low-cost beverage option), and comes in several flavors, including original pear, blueberry-raspberry, and pomegranate-lime. This refreshing beverage is so good, I have already started to look for an importer for when we move back to the US.

In many major European cities, and even some lesser cities, bicycle sharing is the way to get around town. 

 system is run by the city, and costs less than 40 euros for a year-long subscription. While day and week passes are not as economical (a day pass is 3.80 euros and a week pass is 9 euros), they still beat paying for multiple rounds of public transportation or a taxi, which can get very pricey very fast.

As a Wisconsinite, cheese is in my blood (and sometimes on my head, but that is another story). The discovery 

 in my local grocery store was like the heavens opening up and the dairy gods smiling down on me. I paid in the $6 to $7 range in the US for a much smaller slice of the wheel, and this grocery-store label option tastes just as good. Pro-tip: On a baguette, slice up some brie, add sliced apples and honey, and you have a phenomenal, filling sandwich for less than 5 euros.

Museums are fabulous for learning about the history and culture of a new country … but so are city festivals, and generally, they have no entrance fees. Major cities around Europe 

 dedicated to celebrating the people and the culture of their cities — there are free concerts, open markets, tours offered free or just for that week, local food vendors, folk dance demonstrations, etc. In Riga, Latvia, we saw the Latvian National Ballet perform for less than 20 euros, watched a 24-hour basketball tournament with teams from all around the hoops-mad city, and toured a former KGB office building that had not been open to the public since the Soviets left Riga in 1993. Planning a visit around a city festival means lots of opportunities to experience what the locals enjoy and what their history means to them.

“Eat, Drink, and Be Merry,” could be the unofficial motto for the European Union (well, at least those first two parts). Beer festivals are a fantastic way to enjoy an afternoon or evening; you can meet people, try new things, and, 

. Often you’ll find live music, local food vendors, or even cooking demonstrations at these festivals. Most operate similarly, where you put a “deposit” down on a commemorative glass, usually 2 or 3 euros, then take your glass to the different vendors and buy tastes of beer at a generally discounted price. At the end of the event, if you don’t want to keep your commemorative glass, you turn the vessel in and get part of your deposit back. We tend to try to keep our glasses, as useful souvenirs are my favorite souvenirs.

When you’re not interested in sharing a room with strangers at a hostel, but not quite ready to budget for the Park Plaza Hotel, the 

 is an economical middle option. Similarly to Ryanair, the bare-bones approach is taken for these hotel rooms, but if you know what to expect, it’s everything you’ll need. The hotel chain also offers options near airports as well as in city centers. Sometimes while out adventuring in the world, it’s nice to know exactly what to expect when you arrive at the hotel; leave the surprises for other parts of the journey.

Spain, France, and Italy are known around the world for their wines, but some of the most delicious, economical wines we have found have been in countries like 

. Slovenian wine is produced just enough to meet the demands of the local people, so very little of it is exported. Romanian wines range from deep, smooth Merlots to a Champagne-like sparkling white. 

 might be a bit higher than local prices, but the quality still goes above and beyond the cost.

 that have spread throughout Europe into a favorite pastime every December. Like city festivals and beer festivals, Christmas Markets usually do not require an entrance fee, and offer local foods, drinks, and handcrafts. Also, like the beer festivals, you give a “deposit” for your glühwein mug (and you will want to drink the glühwein), which doubles as a souvenir if you don’t mind losing your deposit. In December, major city centers are turned into medieval markets with straw-thatch roof booths, folk dancing, blacksmiths making unique trinkets, and pigs roasting on open spits. It’s very hard not to be in the Christmas spirit when the whole town has turned out to walk in the cold, under the twinkling lights.

One of the things we’ve experienced over and over again is that delicious food does not have to empty your wallet. Seafood can get pricey in restaurants, but in Zeeland, the southwest province of Holland, you’ll 

 at their freshest — and cheapest. In towns like Yerseke, a walk along the shore looks over oyster farms, with crates upon crates of the delicious shellfish. Some of the fishmongers have restaurants, where you can get a selection of enormous oysters from 3 euros and up. You’ll feel like a Rockefeller, without the top hats and the monocles.

As our time living in Europe draws to a close, one of our most common conversations is “Where should we go back to?” We won’t have as many vacation days, be on the same time zone, or be able to get to Europe for a short weekend, so where would we really like to invest a good chunk of our travel time? The answer has consistently been the Baltic States; 

 As of the beginning of this year, all three nations are on the Euro currency, which is much easier to travel in between. The people of the Baltics are warm, friendly, speak excellent English, and are happy to welcome you to their countries. The food is excellent, the hotels are comfortable, and the history is visible everywhere. With lots of natural beauty in addition to vibrant cities, these three countries offer something for everyone, generally at a price everyone can agree on.

Photos by Melinda and Peter Caliendo, except the Ryanair photo, which is courtesy of the airline.

Itâ€™s been a very long time since the Euro and the US Dollar were this close in value, making now an ideal time price-wise to explore Europe.