Sport has established itself as a lucrative profession among people of all ages. Among the richest people on earth are professional athletes who earn millions of dollars each year.
Sportsmen enjoy a lavish lifestyle that no one can even imagine in addition to being immensely popular with their fans. A great deal of money is being invested in the sports industry at present, making it possible for this to happen. Moreover, people are beginning to be attracted to some of the richest sports in the world, as they are seeking fame and fortune.
Sports that are expected to be the richest in 2022:
Recent studies estimate that the sports industry has already reached $1.3 trillion worldwide. Among the $520 billion, only the United States has its fair share. Forbes, one of the most reputable media organizations, recently published a report on media rights related to sports.
Moreover, they predicted that it would increase from $15 billion in 2014 to $21 billion by 2021. That is truly amazing, isn’t it? Having said that, let us now take a look at the full scenario of the world’s richest sports in 2022, or we might say the most lucrative sports in the world.
10. Auto Racing
There is already a $5 billion market value for the automotive racing industry in 2021. The company is expected to reach the $6.5 billion mark by 2022. It is because of this accomplishment alone that it has been ranked among the most lucrative sports in the world for the past year.
The average income of racing stars reached $70,000 per year by 2022. However, pro drivers often earn up to $200,000 per race when participating in large events, such as the Grand American Rolex Series.
An estimated $1,830 million was earned by Formula One last season, one of the most popular events in the world of auto racing. A total of $166.4 million is shared among all the teams in Formula 1. Sebastian Vettel was also recognized as one of the 20 highest-paid athletes this year. Out of the $42.3 million earned through his tournament earnings, $42 million was derived from his own earnings.
9. Tennis
Among the greatest tennis players in the world, there are also some of the richest. The total market value of the tennis industry reached $6.06 billion in this year. As a result of this value, this sport has become one of the most profitable in the world by 2022.
Even though the average salary of professional tennis athletes rose just 1.1% last year, it reached nearly $300,000. Tennis players also earn a substantial amount of money. A total of nearly $4.5 million has been awarded as prize money in the ATP Finals.
This year, nearly $2.6 million was awarded in prize money during the French Open or Roland Garros, one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. Roger Federer holds the number one spot among the top 10 highest paid athletes in 2022, with a salary of $77.2 million. The total income earned by Rafael Nadal also ranks among the top 20 with $41.4 million.
8. Boxing
Boxing is now mainly enjoyed by amateurs and professionals in the world. As amateur boxers compete at the Olympic Games, they often receive prestigious awards. However, it is in professional boxing that the real money is generated.
There was only one industry in professional boxing that exceeded $348.4 million last year, that of promoters. Also, the average annual salary of a good professional boxer is $50,000. What is left to remember of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao bout, which was viewed by 4.6 million people via pay-per-view? Aside from that, that fight of the century has generated revenues of $410 million.
Among the highest-paid sportsmen in 2018, Floyd Mayweather topped the list with a total earnings of $285 million. Among his earnings were $275 million from prize money and the remainder from endorsements.
7. Cricket
Only 15 countries actively participate in international competitions in this sport. The overall cash flow of the sport has certainly earned it a place among the world’s most lucrative sports this year. According to a recent estimate, the value of the cricket industry has exceeded $6 billion. A professional cricketer’s average annual salary is expected to reach nearly $60,000 in 2022.
The Indian Premier League, one of the most popular cricket events in the world, earned $633.62 million last season. As a result of the tournament, each franchise generated an average revenue of $79.2 million.
Among the richest athletes in 2022 is Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian cricket team and one of the best cricketers in the world. The most he has earned among professional cricketers is nearly $24 million this year. A majority of Kohli’s income, approximately $20 million, came from endorsement deals.
6. Golf
Golf, once regarded exclusively as an elite sport, has experienced a rapid rise in popularity in recent years. This is not because of fame, but rather due to the financial incentives associated with this sport. A recent study indicates that the value of the golf industry worldwide has already reached $7 billion.
In general, a pro golfer who participates in golf tours earns nearly $80,000 per year. There are several great players earning millions of dollars today. One of the best tours on the PGA, the US Open, had a purse value of $10 million last year, making it one of the richest sports in the world. Only the winner of last year’s tournament earned $1.8 million.
According to Forbes magazine, Tiger Woods earned $43.3 million last year, the most of any golfer in history. With regard to his tournament prizes, he has earned $29.9 million and with regard to his endorsements, he has earned $13 million.
5. Football or Soccer
There is no doubt that association football, or soccer, is the most popular sport in the world. It has the highest industry share in all sports. Almost $600 billion is invested in the financial sports industry, which accounts for 43 percent of the total global market for financial sports. Premier League footballers now earn an average yearly salary of 1.5 million dollars.
MLS is another popular tournament that pays its footballers on average nearly $600,000 per year. According to estimates, the Premier League earned $5,430 million in revenue last year, with an average revenue of $267 million per team. Therefore, it has become one of the most lucrative sports in the world as a result of this accomplishment.
Two of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are included in the top-3 highest paid footballers this year. A total of $111 million was earned by Messi this year, and $108 million by Ronaldo.
4. Ice Hockey
One of the most popular sports in the United States and the national sport of Canada, ice hockey, is home to some of the world’s richest athletes. The total industry value of ice hockey has already exceeded $60 billion this year, according to recent reports.
There is no doubt that the United States and Canada have the largest stake in that market value. Hockey players in the National Hockey League earn an average salary of $2.2 million per year.
That statistic contributed to the sport’s ranking among the world’s richest in 2022. There was a total revenue of $4,338 million earned by the National Hockey League last year. There are 140 million dollars allocated to each NHL team. A total of $19 million have been earned by Connor McDavid this season, the cover star of EA Sports NHL 18.
As a result of his team’s performance, he received a salary of $15 million. Aside from this, he was also able to earn $4 million through endorsement deals with major brands such as Adidas, BioSteel, CIBC, and Rogers Communications.
3. American Football
The American Football team is often called the Gridiron and should be ranked third on our list of the richest sports in the world in 2022. Recent estimates estimate the industry’s global value at nearly $200 billion.
National Football League players earned an average annual income of $2.4 million in 2018. As a matter of fact, all of the franchise’s top players earn considerably more than that. A staggering $11,394 million was generated in revenue by the NFL last year, the highest revenue generated by any sports league.
Moreover, NHL teams generated a total revenue of $356.1 million this year on average. It is no surprise that Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford are among the top ten highest-paid athletes of the year. The total amount Ryan earned this year was $67.3 million, while Stafford received $59.5 million.
2. Basketball
A great deal of popularity has been enjoyed by this sport in the United States since its inception, but Michael Jordan is credited with bringing it to the international stage. Recent reports indicate that basketball has an estimated global market value of $90 billion. As a matter of fact, the US holds the largest share of this market.
By 2022, an NBA player will earn approximately $3.8 million on average per year. Moreover, they are also involved in a number of large endorsement deals. It is estimated that the National Basketball Association generated $6,271 in revenue last year. The NBA franchises have generated a combined revenue of $209 million this year.
These statistics firmly positioned it in the second place on our list of the richest sports in 2022. It has been reported that basketball star LeBron James has earned $85.5 million this year. As a salary, he received $33.5 million from his team, and he received $52 million through endorsement deals.
1. Baseball
In spite of the fact that basketball has the lowest market share of any sport in the world, it holds the number one spot due to the unbelievable average yearly salary of its players. Currently, the average salary for a professional athlete in MLB is $8.5 million per year.
The salaries of flagship players are far greater than that. Approximately $40 billion is the current value of the baseball industry. Nevertheless, this sport is actively practiced by a very small number of countries. Major League Baseball, the highest level of the sport, generated $8,957 million in revenue last year. Furthermore, this year each team has generated an average of $298.6 million in revenue.
Clayton Kershaw, one of the most highly regarded baseball players, earned $34.5 million last year. The salary he receives from his team is $33.8 million per year. Moreover, he earned $750,000 from endorsements in 2022.
Conclusion
It is also appropriate to mention sports such as volleyball, track & field, and mixed martial arts on this list. In this year’s list of richest sportsmen, there are numerous players who participate in these sports. In order to compile this list, we only selected ten major sports.
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the world’s richest sports
What is the sport with the highest level of financial investment?
There is no professional sports league in the world with a higher average player salary than the NBA. The average annual earning of basketball players is $8.32 million U.S. dollars. Consequently, basketball is the most lucrative sport in the world.
How much money is spent on which sport in India?
Among the most popular sports in India, cricket is by far the most popular. The Board of Control for Cricket of India leads the world in terms of profit margins in cricket.
Is there a football club that is the richest in the world?
The Barcelona football club is considered to be one of the richest in the world. The Deloitte report states that despite a decline of 125 million euros in revenue to €715 million in 2019-20, Barcelona will continue to be the world’s richest football club in 2021.
How much does the most expensive sport cost?
An estimated $13 billion is the value of the National Football League (NFL). A previous report indicated that the NFL generated $13 billion in revenue, but more recent estimates indicate that the figure is actually $8.78 billion after overhead and expenses. Football is the most popular and profitable sport in the world, with the National Football League being the largest and most profitable organization.
