What Is the Highest Paid Sport in the World? Analysis From 1990-2010
Quick Answer
Basketball is definitely the highest-paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.91 million in the 2024-25 season. This represents a 22.8% increase from the previous year and significantly exceeds other major sports leagues globally.
- NBA basketball players earn an average of $11.91 million per season
- This is 155% more than MLB baseball players ($4.66M average)
- Basketball's salary cap of $140.6M is distributed among just 15 players per team
Last updated: June 27, 2025 | Data current as of 2024-25 season
Top 5 Highest-Paid Sports in the World
Rankings of the top 5 highest paid sports worldwide based on 2024-25 average player salaries
Current Methodology: Average Salary Analysis
Our 2024-25 rankings use average player salaries from official league sources and authoritative sports media, providing a more accurate representation of earning potential across sports than historical individual earnings lists. This methodology better reflects what professional athletes can expect to earn and offers more actionable insights for career planning.
Why Basketball Dominates Professional Sports Salaries
Basketball's salary supremacy stems from an optimal economic combination. With only 450 active roster spots across 30 NBA teams, the league's $10.9 billion in annual revenue gets distributed among far fewer players than the NFL's 1,700+ or MLB's 1,000+ players.
The NBA's new media rights deal, worth $76 billion over 11 years starting in 2025-26, will nearly triple current broadcast revenues. The 2024-25 salary cap of $140.6 million is distributed among just 15 players per team, while the NFL's higher cap of $188.2 million must cover rosters three times larger.
Individual vs Average Earnings: Understanding the Data
While individual athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo ($260 million) and LeBron James ($128 million) may earn more than typical NBA players, basketball leads when measuring average compensation across all league participants. This distinction is crucial for understanding true earning potential by sport.
Revenue Distribution Models
League structures significantly impact player salaries. The NFL shares 66% of revenue equally among teams but distributes it across larger rosters. MLB has no salary cap but the lowest player revenue share at 44.5%. The NBA's balanced approach combines a soft salary cap with luxury tax penalties, allowing top teams to spend while maintaining competitive balance.
Historical Perspective: Forbes Analysis (1990-2010)
Our original analysis of Forbes highest-paid athlete lists from 1990-2010 found basketball ranked highest based on frequency of appearances in top 10 lists. While golfer Tiger Woods dominated individual years, the consistency of Michael Jordan and multiple NBA players ensured basketball's overall leadership.
This historical dominance has evolved into today's clear average salary leadership, validating basketball's position as the highest-paid sport across different measurement methodologies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest paid sport?
Basketball is the highest paid sport in the world, with NBA players averaging $11.91 million in the 2024-25 season. This represents a 22.8% increase from the previous year and significantly exceeds other major sports leagues globally.
What sport makes the most money overall?
While the NFL generates the most total revenue at $18.7 billion annually, basketball players earn the highest average salaries due to smaller roster sizes distributing league revenue among fewer players.
Which sport pays athletes the most on average?
The NBA (basketball) pays the highest average salaries at $11.91 million, followed by MLB (baseball) at $4.66 million and Premier League soccer at $4.1 million.
What are the top 5 highest-paid sports in the world?
The top 5 highest-paid sports by average salary are: 1) Basketball (NBA) - $11.91M, 2) Baseball (MLB) - $4.66M, 3) Soccer (Premier League) - $4.1M, 4) Ice Hockey (NHL) - $3.5M, 5) American Football (NFL) - $2.7M.
Which individual athletes earn the most?
Soccer players currently dominate individual earnings lists, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading at $260 million annually. However, this includes significant Saudi Pro League contract inflation and endorsement deals not representative of typical player earnings.
How do endorsements affect sports earnings?
Basketball players typically earn 65% of total compensation from endorsements versus 35% from salaries, far exceeding other sports where endorsements represent 15-30% of earnings. This amplifies basketball's earning advantage beyond base salaries.
Are women's sports included in these rankings?
Professional women's sports currently have significantly lower average salaries. The highest-paid female athlete, Coco Gauff, earned $30.4 million in 2024, which would rank around 125th overall among all athletes.
Methodology Notes
Updated June 2025: This analysis uses current 2024-25 average salary data from official league sources and authoritative sports media including Sportico, ESPN, and league offices.
Average salaries include base compensation but exclude endorsements, bonuses, and appearance fees unless specifically noted. Individual contract outliers (like Saudi Pro League deals) are noted separately to maintain analytical integrity.
Historical Forbes analysis (1990-2010) used point systems based on top-10 list appearances. Modern analysis prioritizes average earning potential across full league rosters for more representative data.
Individual sports like Formula 1 and professional golf show extreme variance between top earners and typical participants, making average calculations less meaningful than team sports with standardized roster sizes.
References
- Sportico. (2024). "NBA Player Salaries 2024-25." Sportico Media. Retrieved from sportico.com
- ESPN. (2024). "MLB Average Salary Report." ESPN Sports. Retrieved from espn.com
- Forbes. (1990-2024). "The World's Highest-Paid Athletes Lists." Forbes Magazine.
- National Basketball Association. (2024). "2024-25 Salary Cap Information." NBA Official.
- Sports Illustrated. (2024). "Premier League Salary Analysis." SI.com. Retrieved from si.com
- National Hockey League. (2024). "NHL Salary Cap Data." NHL Official.
- National Football League. (2024). "NFL Team Salary Information." NFL Official.
Related Pages
Most Popular Sports in the World
Soccer leads with 3.5 billion fans, but which sports have the most passionate followings globally?
Learn More →Highest Paid Athletes All Time
Michael Jordan still leads the all-time earnings list despite retiring decades ago. See the complete rankings.
Learn More →Forbes Athlete Lists Archive
Complete Forbes highest-paid athletes lists from 1990-2024 showing the evolution of sports earnings.
Learn More →NBA Player Body Size Data
Physical attributes and athleticism data that contribute to basketball's earning dominance.
Learn More →
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Old Comments
Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.
Steve egbe (2013): so you mean to tell me that with all the money has christ R david be their sport is not even among the first 3 big sports in the world.
Lucky Malakana Ndlovu (2013): I find it hard 2 blve but what can one say if the researches point it out 2 be like dis ..I always thought Soccer would be atleast No.1, 2, 3 or 4 considering da huge salaries earned by de likes of CR7,Messi,Yaya just 2 name a few..dis needs 2 be reviewed.
Andy Pro (2016): Bs. In soccer only a few earn more than a few milions per year (messi, c.ronaldo, neymar),but in boxing all the professional boxeurs earn a lot of money and a few like mayweather or pacquiao earn a fortune in just a match,a lot of basketballers earn tens of millions a year from endorsements.
Bijaya singh (2013): Yes I am proud that boxing is in second ***it is a father of sport and game of gentalmens ##
Jas (2015): These people are on stupid money. With children dying of hunger and living in extreme poverty all over the world, those contracts are just obscene.
Athlete (2014): I don't care what pays more! I am a basketball player but I also do athletics and football and let me tell you now! The only sport that comes close or equals the combination of physical and mental skills needed to play basketball at a high level is probably boxing!
Basketball (2014): The salaries for some sports may be higher but basketball players get millions of additional dollars from endorsements. And look at Michael Jordan, the first athlete to become a billionaire because of his famous Jordan brand that gets over 2 billion dollars of revenue annually.
Vincent boban (Feb 2013): Basketball will ever remain my game for life. I LIVE FOR THIS!
Okwugba kenechukwu (Aug 2012): Basketball is the best among all. It rules and it also pays. That is why i promised my self never to stop playing it till i die
