Ever wonder which sport pays the most money in 2025? With superstar athletes signing mind-blowing contracts and earning millions every year, it’s natural to be curious.
This blog breaks everything down simply, so it’s easy to understand how different sports stack up. It looks at the highest-paying sports, why some athletes make so much, and what factors push certain leagues to the top.
We will also cover average salaries, massive endorsement deals, and the biggest contracts ever signed.
Whether it’s basketball, soccer, baseball, or even Formula 1, this guide shows how the money flows and which sports create the world’s richest athletes.
Get ready for a clear look at how sports paychecks really work.
What Sport Pays the Most in 2025?
Let’s cut right to the chase: Basketball (NBA) is the highest-paying sport in the world right now. NBA players earn an average salary of about $11.91 million per year. That’s more than any other professional sport on the planet!
Now, you might be thinking about soccer superstars like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, who earn crazy amounts of money.
And you’re right – they do! But here’s the thing: when you look at the average salary across all players in a sport, basketball comes out on top.
Why does the NBA pay so much? It’s pretty simple. The league has amazing TV deals worth billions of dollars, fans around the world watch the games, and each team has only about 15 players.
When there is tons of money coming in and fewer players to split it with, everyone gets a bigger slice of the pie.
What Makes a Sport Pay Big Money?
Not all sports are created equal when it comes to paychecks. Several factors determine which sports shower their athletes with cash:
- Media Rights Revenue: When TV networks pay billions to broadcast games, that money flows to the players. The NBA’s media deals are worth over $24 billion!
- Global Audience: More fans watching means more revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, and advertising. Soccer has fans everywhere from Brazil to Japan.
- Roster Size: Here’s a smart insight – smaller teams mean bigger paychecks per player. An NBA team has 15 players, while an NFL team has 53. Same pot of money, fewer people sharing it.
- Sponsorships and Endorsements: Big brands like Nike, Adidas, and Coca-Cola pay huge money to be associated with popular sports.
- Merchandising: Jersey sales, video games, and other products bring in extra cash that helps pay athletes more.
Highest Paid Sports in the World
These sports generate massive revenue through TV deals, global fan bases, and sponsorships, helping athletes earn some of the highest salaries in the world today.
1. Basketball (NBA): $11.9 Million Average
The NBA sits at the very top of the highest-paid sports list. Every player in the league is guaranteed to make millions, even those sitting on the bench!
What makes basketball so profitable? For starters, the NBA has incredible TV deals with networks like ESPN and TNT. Games are broadcast in over 200 countries.
Plus, basketball creates billionaire athletes. Michael Jordan became the first billionaire athlete, and LeBron James joined that club, too.
The best part for players? The NBA has a salary cap system that ensures players get about 50% of all the league’s revenue. When the league makes more money, players automatically earn more.
2. Formula 1: $8–$10 Million Average
Formula 1 racing has exploded in popularity recently, especially in the United States. F1 drivers are basically rock stars who pilot cars at 200+ miles per hour.
With an average salary of $8–10 million, Formula 1 ranks as the second-highest paying sport in the world! The top drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen earn over $50 million per year.
Their salaries come from racing teams like Mercedes and Red Bull, but they also earn money from brands like Rolex, TAG Heuer, and Tommy Hilfiger.
Formula 1 is different from most sports because it’s all about luxury and glamour. The races happen in Monaco, Singapore, and other fancy places, which attract wealthy sponsors willing to pay big money.
With only about 20 drivers in the entire sport, each one who makes it to F1 is guaranteed to earn millions.
3. Baseball (MLB): $4.66–$5 Million Average
Baseball comes in second place, and it has something special that other sports don’t: guaranteed contracts. When a baseball player signs a deal, they get every penny, even if they get injured or stop playing well.
The biggest contract in sports history belongs to baseball. Shohei Ohtani, the amazing pitcher and hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed a $700 million contract over 10 years. That’s real money, not fake numbers!
Baseball teams play 162 games per season (compared to just 82 in basketball or 17 in football), which means more tickets sold, more TV broadcasts, and more cash flowing in.
4. Soccer: $4.1 Million Average
Soccer (or football, as most of the world calls it) is the world’s most popular sport. Top players in leagues like the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and Italian Serie A earn massive salaries.
But here’s where soccer really shines: endorsement deals. The biggest soccer stars earn more money off the field than on it.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both earned over $100 million in a single year when you combine their salary and endorsements.
Soccer players also have huge social media followings. Ronaldo has over 600 million Instagram followers, making him highly valuable to brands selling products worldwide.
5. Ice Hockey (NHL): $3.5 Million Average
Hockey might not be as global as soccer or basketball, but it pays players really well. The NHL is most popular in Canada, the United States, and parts of Europe.
The league has a salary cap that limits how much teams can spend, but that cap keeps growing. TV deals and passionate fans in cold-weather cities keep money flowing into the sport.
Top players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews earn over $12 million per year. Not bad for playing a game on ice!
6. American Football (NFL): $3.2 Million Average
The NFL has a slightly lower average salary than hockey at around $3.2 million. Here’s why: NFL teams have huge rosters (53 players), and most contracts aren’t guaranteed.
If a football player gets hurt or doesn’t play well, teams can cut them and stop paying. That’s very different from baseball and basketball.
However, the NFL’s top quarterbacks earn insane money. Patrick Mahomes signed a contract worth over $500 million with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Star players get paid like royalty, but the average player doesn’t stay in the league for very long (about 3 years).
7. NASCAR: $1–$3 Million Average
NASCAR drivers earn between $1 million and $3 million on average, though this varies widely. They earn money from their racing teams, but the real cash comes from sponsorships.
You’ll see brand logos all over their cars and uniforms – every inch of space is valuable.
Top NASCAR drivers like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin earn $15-20 million per year when you include sponsorships.
Brands like Monster Energy, Coca-Cola, and Toyota pay big money to be associated with popular drivers.
8. Tennis: Prize Money + Endorsements
Tennis players don’t get salaries. Instead, they earn money by winning tournaments. The four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) pay winners several million dollars each.
But the real money comes from endorsements. Roger Federer retired from tennis but still earns over $90 million per year from brands like Rolex, Uniqlo, and Wilson.
Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal also have massive endorsement deals.
Tennis is interesting because players can earn big money well into their 30s and even after retirement if they’ve built a strong brand.
9. Golf: Tournament Winnings + Sponsorships
Golf is similar to tennis – players earn money by winning tournaments. The PGA Tour hosts dozens of tournaments each year, with multi-million-dollar prizes.
Recently, a new league, LIV Golf, began offering huge signing bonuses to attract top players. Some golfers received over $100 million just to join the league!
Tiger Woods paved the way for big earnings in golf. He became the first athlete to earn $1 billion during his career (most of it from Nike, Rolex, and other sponsors).
10. MLS (Major League Soccer): $300,000 Average
Major League Soccer is North America’s top soccer league, and while it doesn’t pay as much as European leagues, salaries are growing fast. The average MLS player earns around $300,000 per year.
However, MLS has some huge stars too. Players like Lionel Messi (who joined Inter Miami in 2023) earn over $20 million annually when you include endorsements and special deals.
Other international stars like Lorenzo Insigne and Sergio Busquets also make several million per year.
MLS is interesting because it has a “designated player” rule that allows teams to sign up to three players at any salary level, even if it exceeds the league’s salary cap.
This means young American players might earn modest salaries while playing alongside millionaire superstars.
The league is investing heavily in growing the sport in the U.S., and salaries are expected to keep rising as soccer becomes more popular with American fans.
11. Boxing: $44,000–$60,000 Average
Boxing has a weird payment structure. Most boxers earn between $44,000–$60,000 per year, which isn’t much compared to other professional sports. But the superstars at the top? They earn absolutely ridiculous amounts.
Floyd Mayweather earned over $500 million for his fights. When big fights happen (especially pay-per-view events), boxers can make more in one night than most athletes make in their entire careers.
The problem is that only a handful of boxers reach that superstar level. For every Floyd Mayweather, there are thousands of boxers struggling to pay their bills.
Which Sport Creates the Richest Athletes?
When you talk about total wealth, basketball and soccer dominate. Michael Jordan is worth over $3 billion (yes, billion with a “B”). His Nike Air Jordan brand alone earns billions every year.
LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant’s estates are all worth hundreds of millions or more. In soccer, guys like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have built business empires worth nearly a billion dollars.
Tennis players like Roger Federer and Serena Williams have also done incredibly well in building their brands beyond just playing.
Want to see some mind-blowing numbers? Here are the largest contracts ever signed in sports:
- Shohei Ohtani – $700 million (Baseball, 10 years)
- Lionel Messi – $674 million (Soccer, 4-year Barcelona contract)
- Patrick Mahomes – $503 million (Football, 10 years)
- Mike Trout – $426 million (Baseball, 12 years)
- Canelo Álvarez – $365 million (Boxing, 5-year DAZN deal)
Notice something? Most of these mega-contracts come from baseball. Those guaranteed deals are hard to beat!
Why Basketball Will Keep Paying the Most
The NBA shows no signs of slowing down. Here’s why basketball will likely stay on top:
Global Expansion: Basketball is growing fast in China, Europe, and Africa. More fans mean more money.
Perfect for TV: Basketball games are short (2-3 hours), action-packed, and easy to follow. That makes them perfect for broadcasting.
Social Media Era: NBA players are huge on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. They connect directly with fans, which increases their value to sponsors.
Small Rosters: We mentioned this before, but it’s super important. When you only split money among 15 players instead of 50+, everyone gets paid way more.
The Bottom Line
Sports can deliver some of the biggest paychecks in the world, but each one pays differently based on factors like global fan base, TV revenue, and team size.
Basketball leads the list in 2025, but sports like soccer, baseball, and Formula 1 also produce incredibly wealthy athletes.
No matter the sport, the top stars earn big through a mix of salary, endorsements, and massive contracts. It’s exciting to see each league grow and athletes continue to break new records.
Want more guides that break down money, careers, and trends in simple words? Stick around and check out the next post!
