In addition to his hefty salary and bonuses, much of his income derives from endorsements. Check out some of the most expensive cars owned by Lionel Messi including one that cost him over a staggering $34 million USD. A Ferrari F430 Spider, a Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale, and an Audi R8 Spyder, all worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, are amongst his collection of automobiles. According to France Football, Leo Messi was the world’s highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022.
- A professional baseball player (in the MLB) currently earns an average of $8.5 million per year, and as you can find in any other sport, the best players earn very much higher than what the average players.
- This is the ninth richest sports league in the world, which is Italy’s top-tier football league, generating a revenue of around 2.9 billion euros.
- Despite his monumental earnings throughout his illustrious career, which has seen him excel in top clubs across Europe and secure lucrative sponsorship deals, Ronaldo has yet to breach the billionaire mark.
- With the years of thrill and excitement provided by this sport, boxing has always been one of the most entertaining and famous sports worldwide.
- Messi and Ronaldo are among the only three footballers in the world who have amassed over $1 billion from their illustrious careers.
- Such remarkable success has earned it a coveted position among the world’s wealthiest sports.
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F1 Drivers Salary 2024: Know which driver earns the most and lowest this season
Last year, the NFL generated an astonishing US$11.39 billion in revenue – the most among any sporting league in the world – with teams bagging in excess of US$350 million on average. As per Forbes, both Dak Prescott and Tom Brady have a spot inside the Top 10 highest earning athletes this year. The national game of Canada and one of the most popular sports in the US, Ice Hockey is a fast-paced and technical sport that has dominated the western shores.
In fact, of the top sports venue events around the globe, 11 of them are UFC fights. Network licensing is responsible for much of it, with ESPN, NBC, and the Tennis channel broadcasting all major Opens. Ticket sales for major events like Wimbledon, The French Open, and The US Open also help make major bucks for the sport.
The motor racing industry has experienced tremendous growth, surpassing $5 billion in market value in 2022. Projections indicate that by 2027, it will exceed the $7.5 billion milestone. Such remarkable success has earned it a coveted position among the world’s wealthiest sports.
Each season, popular baseball teams rake in millions from ticket sales, as the average ticket price per game in 2018 was $32.44. When it comes to sports franchises MLB is no match with the NFL as only 6 out of 50 most valuable teams come from this sports league. In addition to the world’s wealthiest players playing in this league, it has secured national television broadcasting contracts worth $500 million in international media revenue. But the main driver of this increase is the NBA’s jersey deal with Nike and their jersey patch program with individual teams, which reportedly fetched above $200 million in revenue last year alone. Its revenue stems from broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and race hosting fees from countries worldwide. Partnerships with major brands like Rolex and Pirelli, along with a global fan base, solidify its position among the wealthiest sports organizations.
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But you know how it is – the real heavy hitters, the superstars, they’re making a whole lot more. Woods ($62.1 million) is the senior member of the top 100 at 49, eight years older than Aaron Rodgers ($47.2 million). Eleven athletes 25 or younger qualified, with Carlos Alcaraz ($40.4 million) the youngest at 21.
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Perhaps what adds to its allure is the generous income it brings to professional boxers, who earn an average of $50,000. Amateurs, discover this on the other hand, typically make between $1,000 and $4,000 per fight. The Indian Premier League, a highly acclaimed cricket tournament, amassed a staggering $633.62 million in revenue last season. Remarkably, each franchise participating in this event achieved an average income of $79.2 million. The National Basketball Association (NBA) covers 30 teams – 29 in the United States and one in Canada.
In 2023, he was ranked third on the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. He is the club’s all-time top goalscorer and ranks third all time in assists. His remarkable speed, skill, and goal-scoring prowess quickly caught the attention of football enthusiasts worldwide. Since evolving internationally, Benzema has participated in numerous advertising campaigns.
The defender caught the eyes of multiple European clubs, but the opportunity to move closer to home was too good to turn down. He has since become captain of the U21 side, who are coached by Kerry native Diarmuid O’Carroll. According to AP, New York led the major leagues in spending for the third straight season in 2024. The top 100 is made up of athletes from eight sports and hailing from 27 countries.
There isn’t a lot of merchandise like many of the other sports, which is why it’s unlikely that boxing will ever grow to be a more popular sport. It’s also lost some of its appeal with other sports that are similar entering the market – such as MMA fighting. The US Open, played in New York every year, generates approximately $500 million on its own between ticket sales, TV deals, as well as merchandise. While many sports are played around the world, not all of them have leagues –and not all generate a significant amount of money. As such, it was necessary for us to identify the sports that are bringing in the most money.