What is the highest paid sport in the world 2022?
Highest Paying Sports in the World
Basketball is the highest paid sport in the world, with the average annual salary in the NBA in 2023 being nearly $10.5 million. This is more than double the average salary in the NFL, which sits in second place at $4.5 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is becoming one of the highest-paid athletes as he reportedly nears a deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr that could award the Portuguese soccer star $200 million annually, including commercial deals.
| Sports | Highest Salary | Highest Paid Athlete |
|---|---|---|
| Boxing | $600 million | Floyd Mayweather Jr. |
| Golf | $127 million | Tiger Woods |
| Auto Racing | $127 million | Michael Schumacher |
| Soccer | $125 million | Cristiano Ronaldo |
Basketball is the highest-paying sport in America.
The average salary of an NBA player is $8 million per year. This is the average and some players are paid far less than this, while star players are paid much more than this.
But in terms of net worth, again, only three athletes have made it to the billionaires club. They are LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Exclusive company.
East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) rookies earn a minimum of $415 per week and veterans make $460 per week over the course of a 72-game regular season, which comes out to less than $24,000 for the year.
Naomi Osaka once again tops the list of the highest-paid female athletes in the world, bringing in $51.1 million in 2022, according to Forbes. She's followed by Serena Williams, who earned $41.3 million.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Lionel Messi is the world's highest paid athlete for the second time, according to Forbes' annual list of the highest-paid athletes. Messi made $130 million between May 1, 2021 and May 1, 2022 before taxes.
Soccer, also known as association football, is by far the most popular sport in the world, despite the fact that it may not be obvious in the United States. Soccer is the most popular sport in practically all of Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and Asia.
1970's: The million dollar contract
At the time the sum was considered absurd. However, it was soon superseded by baseball player Dave Parker, who in 1978 signed a 5-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $5 million, making him the first professional athlete to earn $1 million per year.