With the highest paying sports in the world, you may be wondering which sport gets paid the most. Many factors go into deciding these amounts, but with so many athletes across the globe, some stand out among the rest regarding paychecks and endorsements. Who are they? And how much money do they make?
Most people assume that the highest paid athletes make their money from playing the most popular sports in the world baseball, basketball, soccer, and football—but there’s another sport that pays big bucks, and it’s surprising to many people. Let’s look at the world’s highest paying sports today!
Sports are a business
The question what is the highest paying sport in the world? has been a topic of debate for years. The answer oftentimes depends on who you ask. That’s because professional sports are a business and there are many factors that go into determining how much money one can make playing each sport. Obviously, if you’re an NBA player or a soccer player then your earning potential will be higher than say for example an NFL player. In fact, one study by Forbes found that soccer players make more than any other type of athlete with their salaries averaging around $4 million annually which is about triple what NBA players make and almost double what Major League Baseball players make.
Soccer – Highest Paid League In The World
Soccer is by far the highest paid sport in the world. According to Forbes’ annual list of sports teams with the highest revenues:
Manchester United has a $1.86 billion revenue and is ranked number one on Forbes’ list
Barcelona has a $1.6 billion revenue and is ranked number two on Forbes’ list
Real Madrid has a $1.4 billion revenue and is ranked number three on Forbes’ list.
NBA – basketball players still need more endorsement deals than soccer players
NBA players have a much higher number of endorsement deals than soccer players. But there is a catch. Basketball players need to be marketable and have an appealing personality for advertisers to want them as spokespersons for their products. On the other hand, soccer players don’t need to be marketable at all because they are already seen as stars by just playing their sport. So even though NBA players make more money from playing basketball than soccer players make from playing soccer, you might see more advertisements from NBA athletes than from soccer athletes because of this fact.
Football – The Average Salary In Europe
Football is the most popular and most watched sport in the world. The players have one of the highest average salaries and can make $1 million in just one season. There are many different leagues that offer salaries over $100 thousand dollars per year to their players. Some of these leagues include Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1, Germany’s Bundesliga, and England’s Premier League as well as other European countries top divisions.
Football – The Average Salary In Latin America
It turns out that footballers, those athletes who play for teams from all over the world, are not necessarily the highest paid athletes. Football clubs have a reputation for being wealthy and most of them are. However, there is one sport that gives football clubs some serious competition. The average salary of a footballer is just under $5 million per year. That sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Well, don’t feel too bad for them because it turns out that cricket players make on average $1 million per year. This means they make more than 10 times as much as footballers in Latin America. These numbers come from research done by Sporting Intelligence and show just how popular cricket is in developing countries such as Brazil and Argentina.
Baseball – MLB Highest Paid Players
Baseball is the highest paying sport in the world according to Forbes. The top player, Alex Rodriguez, makes a whopping $33.2 million annually. Other players such as Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout also make over $30 million per year. Baseball has surpassed soccer as the highest paying sport and it doesn’t seem like it will stop anytime soon.
Baseball players make more than any other type of athlete because they are under contract for a set amount of time (usually six years) which allows them to make millions before their contracts expire (even if they are injured). Soccer players, on the other hand, can only make a few hundred thousand dollars per year because they have no contract and there is no guarantee that they will continue playing after a season or two.
MMA – Highest Paid Players
The sport of mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in America. With fighters like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, MMA has become a household name. But it’s not just Americans watching as more people from other countries have taken notice and begun to take part. The UFC reports that Brazil has more MMA fans than any other country, with Canada coming in second place. The sport of mixed martial arts is the highest paying sport in the world, with fighters averaging a minimum salary between $200k-500k per year depending on their ranking and performance.
Where does all the money come from?
The money comes from sponsorships, merchandising, and TV contracts. The largest source of revenue is sponsorship deals with companies like Adidas (apparel), Nike (apparel), and Coca-Cola (energy drinks). They also have a lot of lucrative deals for TV rights. According to Forbes, FIFA had $4 billion in TV and marketing deals for the 2014 World Cup alone.
Tennis – Highest Paid Players
Tennis is a sport that is both fast-paced and strategic, making it one of the most popular sports around. With a wide variety of talented players, it’s no wonder that tennis has been so successful for so long. As with any sport, there are always those who rise to the top and become legends. Here are some of history’s most talented players and their salaries:
Roger Federer – $67 million
Marcelo Rios – $5 million
Andre Agassi – $30 million
WWE– Highest Paid Players
WWE is a billion-dollar industry and has continued to grow over the years. It employs people from all walks of life, including wrestlers and announcers.
Wrestlers are arguably the biggest stars on the roster, but they don’t make as much money as you might think. Most WWE Superstars are making around $500,000 per year, with some making more if they are part of a Big Four match or have a role on one of WWE’s other TV shows. Only a tiny handful of wrestlers make enough money to be considered millionaires. The majority earn about $250,000 per year, which is still decent for most people.
Commentators can earn six figures annually and usually have several other sources of income outside of WWE.
cricket – Highest Paid Players
Cricket is a sport that is played by two teams. It has been around for centuries and is one of the most popular sports in Australia, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The game can be traced back to 1500 BC when it was played by British shepherds. Cricket has its roots as a recreational activity. It wasn’t until 1844 that cricket was played on turf wickets which led to changes in its popularity.
Cricket is also one of the highest paying sports in the world with some players earning as much as $1 million per year. Sachin Tendulkar, one of India’s most famous cricketers earned $2 million annually during his career playing cricket.
Horse Racing – Highest Paid Players
Horse racing is one of the oldest sports in the world and it has seen a resurgence over the past few years. Riders are not just jockeys; they are athletes who participate in races on horseback. The annual salary for a successful horse racing rider can be as high as $2 million dollars a year. But don’t think that because this is one of the highest paying sports, it’s an easy ride to success; there’s always a risk that your horse could stumble or throw you off during a race.
Golf – Highest Paid Players
Only a handful of people can say they make over $100 million per year. Some of these celebrities are athletes and some are actors. But there is one profession that has more millionaires than any other, and it’s not what you would expect. Golfers dominate the list with an estimated 142 members who have made over $1 million playing this sport, according to Wealth-X. There’s a lot more to it than just Tiger Woods though as golf was one of the earliest sports to establish a major league complete with lucrative endorsement deals and merchandising opportunities.
Sponsor Earnings
Sponsorships are a huge part of modern sports. These deals, which come in all shapes and sizes, often make up the majority of an athlete’s earnings. A study published by Forbes found that 40% of athletes’ income came from sponsorships. The highest earning sport in the world might surprise you, but it isn’t tennis or golf. It’s motorsports, with top drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel earning upwards of $40 million per year from sponsors alone.
Conclusion:
With all the above study and by considering all the important points in the article Boxing may be the highest paid sport in the world, but not by much. Boxing has been a part of Olympic competitions since 1904 and has grown in popularity to become one of the most popular sports. The top boxing athlete of all time is Muhammad Ali, who made an estimated $87 million throughout his career. He was also known for his philanthropy, which includes donating $50,000 to Martin Luther King Jr.’s organization for civil rights and another $10,000 to help send American boxers to represent Team USA at international competitions. Next on our list is Manny Pacquiao who brought home an approximate total of $53 million from prize money and fight earnings over his 20-year career.
