Professional athletes earn significant sums of money from playing the game, from their salaries and from revenue from sponsorship deals. These contracts can sometimes be worth billions of dollars. So, every competition helps the contestants to earn a huge amount.
Here are the top 10 highest paying sports in the world in no particular order. Sports athletes earn a lot of money from sports, awards and endorsements.
BasketBall
Basketball comes first in the global list of highest paid sports. The 30-team National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most popular and highest-paid basketball league in the world. In the 1970s, the sport of basketball began to attract athletes from around the world as they began to pay extremely high fees. Furthermore, it is the sport that Americans and Canadians watch the most.
With an estimated net worth of over $2 billion, Michael Jordan is also considered to be the wealthiest athlete in the world. Forbes magazine says that NBA players like Steph Curry and LeBron James are on the list of highest paid athletes. Basketball tops the list because of the high advertising deals and ease of branding.
Boxing
Boxing is one of the oldest sports on planet earth which was first played over 2700 years ago in 688 BC. It is now on the second position in the list of highest paying sports in the world. Boxing is very popular in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. The sport of boxing is a high risk high reward sport as it is a combat sport played between two players inside a ring.
It is the demand of sports that athletes must be really fit to achieve something big. Many popular boxers have earned a lot of money from various tournaments and bouts. Boxers earn a lot of money through endorsement deals, betting and pay-per-view commissions.
Football
American football is the most popular sport in the United States and parts of Canada. Also called “gridiron”, this 11-player two-team game dates back to 1869, when it was first played in New Jersey. Although the sport is not part of the annual Olympic Games, it is recognized as a demonstration sport, as seen in the 1932 Summer Olympics.
The average American football player earns around $2 million a year. However, the standard annual amount for players over 50% is $860,000. Aaron Rodgers, one of the most coveted American footballers, receives up to $50 million annually, thanks to his recent three-year extension with the Green Bay Packers.
Golf
Golf is expected to be the highest paying sport in the world by 2023. This is most likely due to the growing popularity of the sport, especially among the wealthy. As the number of golf courses around the world continues to grow, there is always someone willing to pay to play. Golf is a popular sport that also pays well for its competitors. Golfers can earn an average of $10 million per year.
Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese professional, is the richest soccer player in the world with a net worth of over a billion dollars derived from endorsements and payments.
Tennis
Tennis is one of the most famous recreational sports played by millions of people around the world. The WTA tour is considered among the highest-paying tournaments in the world, with tennis players often earning their spots on Forbes’ list of richest sportspersons.
In 1992, famous tennis player Andre Agassi secured the sixth position in the list with a total income of $11 million. In 1993, Jim Courier was ranked 9th on the Forbes list of richest sportsmen with a net worth of $12.6 million. One of today’s biggest tennis stars, Roger Federer was ranked sixth on the Forbes list of richest sportsmen in 2008 with a net worth of $35 million, followed by $43 million in 2010 and $71.5 million in 2013. Value of net income in million.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot vulcanized rubber pucks into their opponent’s net to score points. , The National Hockey League (NHL) is the highest level of men’s professional ice hockey and the top development league for most North American players.
Ice hockey is the national winter sport of Canada and is also enjoyed in the United States, Russia, and Australia. The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) was founded in 2008 as the international counterpart to the Russian Superleague, consisting of teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Latvia.
Baseball
Baseball is another highest paying sport with a popularity comparable to that of wrestling and auto racing. The highest paid baseball player of all time earned $38 million in one year.
Baseball was also first played in the 18th century and is still played today with some changes to the rules. Major League Baseball is the most popular baseball league in the world. Baseball players around the world love to join the league as it pays high.
Auto racing
Car racing is popular in America and Europe. Auto racing is a fun but risky activity. It is one of the highest paid professional sports, with a record $36 million paid to a single driver. Auto racing has been in existence since 1867 when the first race was held.
Cycling
In 1899, Charles Minthorne Murphy became the first cyclist to travel a mile in less than a minute. This feat happened more than 120 years ago. He was dubbed “Mile-a-Minute Murphy” for this feat.
Since the invention of the bicycle and other motorized vehicles, cycling is now considered one of the most popular sports in the world. There are many cycling competitions held around the world and these are considered to be some of the most lucrative competitions.
