As of 2023, soccer players in the English Premier League were better compensated than many other professional sports leagues, with player salaries amounting to around 71 percent of the league's total revenue. Meanwhile, player salaries in North America's Big Four sports leagues hovered around half of each league's revenue, while cricketers in the Indian Premier League only earned 18 percent of league revenue.

With each player taking home a handsome 8.32 million U.S. dollars every year, the NBA is the professional sports league with the highest player wages worldwide. In second place is the Indian Premier League, an annual cricket competition contested each year between eight franchises representing eight different Indian cities.

Big money in the NBA Although the wages that players in the NBA take home are astronomical, the average annual salaries vary from one team to another. Whilst the New York Knicks pay their players an average of 7.08 million U.S. dollars a year, Portland Trail Blazers spent around 10.04 million U.S. dollars annually on each of their stars in 2019/20. NBA salaries have tremendously increased throughout the years reaching 8.32 million U.S. dollars in 2019/20 compared to 4.6 million U.S. dollars in 2015/16.

Michael Jordan is the undisputed leader when it comes to the highest paid athletes in history. The basketball legend and former Chicago Bulls star was estimated to have earned a staggering 3.75 billion U.S. dollars throughout his career, thanks to his on-court accomplishments, endorsements, and ownership of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan's enduring popularity and iconic status have cemented his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Golfers earning big bucks on and off the course

Interestingly, the three of the next five athletes on the list of highest paid athletes of all time are all golfers. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods all earned a significant amount of money during their careers. These golfing greats managed to secure lucrative endorsement deals with major brands and also enjoyed success on the golf course, with multiple major championships to their names.

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way for soccer players

Soccer can be considered one of the most popular sports in the world and the highest soccer player in the ranking of highest paid athletes is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar was in third place on the list, with estimated lifetime earnings of over 1.5 billion U.S. dollars. Ronaldo's on-field achievements, combined with his large numbers of social media followers make him one of the most recognizable and highest-paid athletes of all time.

Gender pay gap in sport

In terms of female athletes, Serena Williams was the highest placed athlete on the list, coming in at 40th place, with lifetime earnings of 630 million U.S. dollars. Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and won an impressive 23 Grand Slam titles during her career. She has also been a vocal advocate for women's rights and equal pay in sports, paving the way for future generations of female athletes to succeed and prosper. Serena Williams' relatively low rank on the list of highest paid athletes of all time is indicative of the gender pay gap that exists in sports. Despite being one of the most successful and dominant tennis players in history, Williams earned significantly less than many of her male counterparts. For example, Roger Federer, who won fewer Grand Slam titles than Williams, ranked ninth on the list, having earned almost 1.50 billion U.S. dollars throughout his career.

This disparity in earnings is not unique to tennis, as it is a pervasive issue in sports across the board. Female athletes are often paid less than male athletes for performing the same job, even when they achieve comparable levels of success and generate similar levels of revenue. This gender pay gap within sports can be attributed to a variety of factors, including differences in media coverage, sponsorships, and endorsement deals.

The highest paid athlete in the world in 2024 was soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who racked up on and off field earnings of around 260 million U.S. dollars. However, the Portuguese legend was one of only 12 soccer players to make it into the top 100 ranking of highest paid athletes. Meanwhile, 36 stars from the National Basketball Association made it into the top 100.

The global sports industry revenue was forecast to grow in the coming years. In 2022, the industry’s revenue amounted to over 403 billion U.S. dollars and was expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.13 percent between 2022 and 2028. By 2028, the global sports market was expected to be worth over 680 billion U.S. dollars. This massive industry includes the people, activities, and organizations that are involved with producing, facilitating, or organizing sports activities.

How big is the global sports betting and lottery market?

In 2022, the market size of the sports betting and lottery sector worldwide was valued at around 235.46 billion U.S. dollars. This figure showed a decrease from the previous year's total of 242.82 billion and by 2023, the market was forecast to reach 242 billion. Sports betting is a type of gambling that refers to the activity of placing a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. Events on which wagers are made could be anything from more traditional activities like horse or dog racing, to sports such as soccer and American football.

How big is the global youth sports market?

The youth sports market is a big industry, ranging from organized sports leagues to recreational activities. In 2022, the global market for youth sports was estimated at 37.5 billion U.S. dollars. The market was forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 9.2 percent and reach 69.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2030. Youth sports do not necessarily take place within the education system; however, many competitors involved with youth sports are generally at a primary or secondary level of education and participate in school-organized sport programs.

Of the 10 highest paid athletes in the world in 2023/24, five of the top ten spots were taken by soccer players, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi sitting in first and third place, respectively. Meanwhile, golf star Jon Rahm's on- and off-field earnings of nearly 120 million U.S. dollars put him in second place. Messi vs. Ronaldo continues Despite the ongoing debate among fans and in the media about who is the better soccer player between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it is the former that led the way in terms of total earnings in 2023/24. As well as winning an incredible amount of trophies, Ronaldo is winning off the pitch, too, thanks to a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike, and endorsements with DAZN, Electronic Arts, and Tag Heuer. Meanwhile, seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi had an equal share of on- and -off field earnings, which totaled 135 million U.S. dollars. Ronaldo also had the edge over Messi on certain social media platforms, claiming the title of most followed athlete on Instagram. The Portuguese star has over 480 million followers on the social media site, while Lionel Messi has a "mere" 361.01 million. Where are all the women? One notable absence in the list of highest paid athletes is any female athletes. In fact, the highest paid female athletes took home a fraction of the earnings of their male counterparts. Tennis star Iga Świątek topped the list of sportswomen, having taken home almost 10 million U.S. dollars in prize money and a further 14 million U.S. dollars in endorsements in 2023. Świątek consistently ranked in the top 10 of the WTA's ranking of female tennis players worldwide, and her endorsements include companies such as Visa, Porsche, and Rolex.

Sponsorship revenue for the major sports leagues in the United States reaches into the millions of U.S. dollars every year. In the 2022 season, sponsorship revenue in the National Football League (NFL) stood at 1.88 billion U.S. dollars. The largest sponsorship category within the league was technology, followed by betting, lottery and gaming.

Attendance at National Football League games

The National Football League is the highest division of professional American Football in the United States. With 32 teams competing annually with the hopes of advancing to and winning the Super Bowl championship game, the league attracts millions of fans from across the country each year. Comparing the average per game attendance of the four major sports league in North America, the NFL attracted close to 70 thousand fans per game on average, ranking it higher than Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League in the 2022/23 season. Overall, the Dallas Cowboys welcomed the most attendees in the NFL on average in 2022.

Fantasy sports in the U.S.

One way for fans to engage with their favorite professional athletes is through fantasy sports, which involves the creation of a virtual team that tracks the performance of players and enables users to accumulate points after each game week. In 2022, the fantasy sports industry in the United States was worth an estimated 9.48 billion U.S. dollars. According to an August 2022 survey, ESPN’s platform ESPN Fantasy Sports was the most popular to use amongst fantasy football players in the United States. The survey also revealed some of the most important features of fantasy football platforms for users from the United States, with platform simplicity being very important for almost two thirds of respondents.

A May 2024 study examined the combined off-the-field earnings of the 50 highest-paid athletes worldwide. In the past 11 years, the total off-the-field income has nearly doubled from roughly 556 million U.S. dollars in 2012 to more than one billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The figure experienced a drop of 13 percent in 2024, falling back under the one billion U.S. dollar mark to 936 million U.S. dollars.

In 2018, Antoine Griezmann, football player for Atletico Madrid, was the highest paid French sportsmen with an annual salary which amounted to 33 million euros. Born in Mâcon, Antoine Griezmann won the 2017 Europa League with its club and the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the France national football team. That same year he was considered as one of the most valuable French football players with a market value of 100 million euros.

Basketball players vs Football players

In 2018, the top three best-paid French sportsmen were all football players. Antoine Griezmann was followed by Kylian Mbappé and Paul Pogba, respectively playing in 2018 for Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. Mbappé, who had an estimated transfer value of 186.5 million euros as of June 2018, earned more than 24 million euros compared to 22.1 million euros for Paul Pogba. But this ranking also shows that French basketball players in the NBA were some of the highest-paid French athletes. Nicolas Batum, currently playing for the Charlotte Hornets, earned more than 20.9 million euros in 2018.

European football on top of the world of sports

Despite the impressive revenue of the NBA, the European football leagues keep having one of the highest revenue in the sports industry. With a revenue of more than 16 billion euros for the season 2018/2019, the “Big Five” of European football remain the financially most successful and probably the most popular sport clubs worldwide. Footballers playing in the big clubs of European football leagues are part of the world’s highest-paid sports teams and players like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the most valuable athletes in the world.

What is the hourly earnings of athletes and sports players in Denmark? Over the shown period, the salary paid per hour fluctuated slightly. In 2019, it amounted to approximately 322 Danish kroner per hour, which was the highest amount during the time under consideration.

The highest paid athlete in the world in 2024 was soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who racked up on and off field earnings of around 260 million U.S. dollars. He was the only athlete from Portugal to make it into the top 50. By comparison, almost 30 of the athletes on the list were from the United States.

Despite not earning a salary for competing in their chosen sport, NIL deals allow student-athletes to make money from their personal brand. In the 2023/24 season, almost three quarters of NIL deals with male athletes were in college football.

Student athletes who play college sports in the United States are not compensated for their performance, and there is some debate over whether or not colleges should be allowed to compensate their athletes. During a survey conducted in the U.S. in 2021, 40 percent of respondents stated that if colleges compensated student athletes, they strongly believed that male and female student athletes should be compensated equally for playing the same sport, regardless of how much revenue each sport generates. Meanwhile, nine percent of respondents strongly disagreed with this statement.

The sports sponsorship market was estimated at 97.35 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The industry was projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.68 percent until 2030, reaching a value of almost 190 billion U.S. dollars. What are the most valuable sport teams worldwide? In 2023, the most valuable sports team worldwide was the NFL franchise the Dallas Cowboys, valued at approximately two billion U.S. dollars more than the second most valuable team, the New York Yankees. Additionally, Real Madrid was the highest-ranked soccer team, taking 11th spot with a value of over six billion U.S. dollars. Focusing on soccer in Europe, England’s Premier League led in brand value, with the league valued at almost nine billion euros. Spain’s La Liga ranked second, followed by the German Bundesliga in third. What are the leading apparel brands globally? In 2023, the American multinational corporation Nike topped the ranking of the most valuable apparel brands worldwide, with a brand value amounting to almost 75 billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, its competitor, the German-based brand Adidas, ranked sixth. Nike, renowned for its iconic "Swoosh" logo, has continuously invested in promotional campaigns. In 2023, Nike’s advertising and promotion costs amounted to over four billion U.S. dollars, representing an increase of more than five percent compared to the previous year.

In 2029, the revenue change is forecast to significantly decrease in all segments compared to the previous time point. Concerning the two selected segments, the segment Performance Apparel for men and the segment Performance Apparel for women are tied in rank, with 2.65 percent each. Find other insights concerning similar markets and segments, such as a comparison of revenue in Indonesia and a comparison of volume in Indonesia. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In the 2024 financial year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generated almost 950 million U.S. dollars in revenue from its television and marketing rights fees segment. Moreover, the organization generated revenue of over 263 million U.S. dollars from championships and NIT tournaments.

The highest paid female athlete worldwide in 2024 was Coco Gauff. The Amrican tennis star earned just under 10 million U.S. dollars through her on-court performances, as well as 25 million U.S. dollars through endorsements and sponsorships.

American professional sports leagues are known for paying their players handsomely and Major League Baseball is no different. The highest earner in the MLB in 2024 was the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. The three-time All-Star took home a base salary of 70 million U.S. dollars in the 2024 season. MLB salaries The MLB has both a minimum player salary and a competitive balance tax (also called Luxury Tax) in place to ensure the league remains competitive and that no single team can buy its way to victory. In 2024, the minimum player salary stood at 740 thousand U.S. dollars, a generous increase from the minimum salary of 500 thousand U.S. dollars ten years earlier. However, because of the astronomical earnings of some of the star players in the league, the average player salary across the MLB was 4.98 million U.S. dollars in 2024. If a team’s payroll exceeds a certain figure, they are forced to pay a luxury tax in order to discourage the largest teams from buying the best players in the league. In 2024, this payroll cap was 237 million U.S. dollars. MLB revenue on the up In 2024, teams of Major League Baseball generated around 378.13 million U.S. dollars on average in revenue per team. The New York Yankees sat top of the pile as the franchise generated revenue of 679 million U.S. dollars. On the other end of the scale, the Oakland Athletics had revenue of 241 million U.S. dollars in 2024.

The value of the sports and swimwear market in the United States stood at roughly 76 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and is forecast to exceed 90 billion U.S. dollars by 2028.

Sports and swimwear market segments

With each consecutive year, women’s sports and swimwear revenue in the United States far exceeded that of men and children. While the country’s male sports and swimwear segment generated approximately 22 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of revenue in 2023, and the equivalent for kids brought about some 12.6 billion, revenue of the women’s sports and swimwear market reached more than both of those segments combined.

Why is the sportswear market growing?

The sportswear market has benefitted from changing consumer trends over recent years. The rise of streetwear culture has led to greater demand from teenagers, while a greater interest in fitness has resulted in adults seeking comfortable yet fashionable clothing. Nike has a dominant share of the sportswear market in the United States and is regarded highly by both teenagers and adults. Around three in 10 teenagers ranked Nike as their top clothing brand.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest earning soccer player in the world in 2024, being paid around 260 million U.S. dollars a year. The bulk of this sum came from on-field income, such as salary and bonuses. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi earned around 135 million U.S. dollars per year, with a larger share coming from off-pitch income. Who is better, Messi or Ronaldo? Messi and Ronaldo have been compared throughout their careers, with both players having exceptional ability. On the one hand, Ronaldo is the record goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League and holds many of the individual records in the competition. However, Messi has the one medal that Ronaldo could never win: the World Cup. The Argentinian lifted the famous trophy in 2022 after an exhilarating tournament, in which he scored seven goals. Ronaldo and Al-Nassr: an example of sportswashing? Ronaldo is undoubtedly the most well-known player to ever play in the Saudi Pro League, earning a salary more than most people can only dream of. Outside of soccer, Saudi Arabia’s investment in sporting events has been substantial, and human rights organizations have accused the country of using sport to whitewash – or sportswash – human rights abuses. Following his move to Al-Nassr, Amnesty International called on Ronaldo to bring attention to human rights issue in the country. Ronaldo, meanwhile, said he wanted to provide a different vision of the club and country.