Care to know the top 10 highest paid sports in the world? If yes, then you are on the right track.
Let’s quickly take you through the definition of Sport before listing the highest paying sports in the world.
Sport refers to any competitive physical activity or game that tries to develop, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while offering enjoyment to participants and spectators at large.
Sport is usually governed by a set of rules or norms that serve to ensure a level playing field and consistent winner adjudication. Physical activities like scoring goals or being the first to cross a line might determine who wins.
Without doubt, sports are performed all around the world by adults and children. Sport is a way of having fun and it is either you have fun participating in sports or you have fun watching other people have their fun with sports.
There is even a lot more to just having fun with sports as a lot of athletes and sport participants are making huge amount of money from it.
Upon this ground would be the leading curiosity to the list of the world’s highest paid sports.
Check out: The 10 Tallest Buildings in the World.
These are the 10 Highest Paid Sports in the World in 2022
When talking of the highest paid sports in the world, you need to know that the Sport industry which is a multi-billionaire industry is one of the highest paying industries in the world, as participants, players and athletes are highly paid for their talents and hard works.
It doesn’t end there, many of these successful players, athletes, and other sport participants are exposed to several opportunities and endorsement deals which helps them to become even wealthier.
With all these, we can agree that sports are highly profitable, therefore, let’s get into the list of the top 10 highest paid sports in the world.
1. Basketball (NBA)
In case you didn’t know, Basketball is the highest paid sport in the world. The Basket Ball (NBA) in particular is the highest-paying sport in the world.
Basketball is a sport in which two teams of five players each compete on a rectangular court with the primary goal of shooting a basketball through the defender’s hoop, which is 10 feet high and attached to a backboard at each end of the court, while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own basket.
James Naismith, a Springfield College instructor and graduate student, invented basketball in 1891. He wanted to get his students to undertake some indoor physical activity.
Therefore, he came up with the idea of playing soccer and throwing the ball into two peach baskets nailed above the railings.
Today, Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and the world’s highest-paid sport.
With a $111.2 million NBA earnings record, LeBron James is the highest-paid NBA player. It is comprised of $41.2 million from his NBA salary and $70 million from off-court earnings.
LeBron James has made over $340 million in his basketball career. In 2022, LeBron James’ net worth is estimated to be $480 million.
2. Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport in which two players, often wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment like as hand wraps and mouth guards, hurl punches at each other in a boxing ring for a specified period of time.
The regulations of boxing can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where it was founded as an Olympic sport in 688 BC.
Boxing is the world’s second highest paid sport and a high-risk, high-reward activity. The highest-paid Boxer received a stunning $333 million for a single match.
Floyd Mayweather, an American professional boxing promoter and former professional boxer is the richest boxer in the world. His net worth has been estimated to be $560 Million in 2022.
3. American Football (NFL)
American football, commonly known as football or gridiron in the United States of America, is a team sport in which two teams of eleven players compete on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end.
The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869, between Rutgers and Princeton, two school teams. However it can be said to have evolved from rugby and soccer sports.
American football is considered to be one of the most watched sports in the USA and one of the highest paid sports in the world.
The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular American football league. Also, it is one of the most famous leagues in the world.
The highest-paid American football player in the NFL makes $253 million a year, making it the third highest paying sport in the world.
Former American football player Roger Staubach is the highest-paid footballer, earning $253 million in a single year.
4. Golf
Golf is also one of the highest paid sports in the world as the highest-paid golfer has made $127 million a year.
The sport called Golf is a cross-country sport in which a player uses various clubs to hit a small ball into a sequence of holes on a course, with the player who holes his ball in the fewest strokes winning.
Although evidence today suggests that early variations of golf were played in the Netherlands first and subsequently in Scotland in the 15th century before gaining popularity in Europe and the United States. However, the roots of the game are difficult to determine.
With an estimated net worth of $800 million, Tiger Woods is the wealthiest golfer in the world.
5. Soccer (Football)
The fifth highest paid sport in the world is Soccer.
Soccer, often known as football or association football, is a team sport in which two teams of 11 players compete with a spherical ball.
It is played by more than 250 million people in more than 200 nations and territories. Soccer has nearly 3.5 billion admirers, making it the most popular sport on the planet.
Soccer is one of the highest-paid sports in the world, with the highest-paid player earning $127 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s richest soccer player, with an estimated net worth of $490 million in 2022.
6. Tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that can be played solo against a single opponent or in two-player teams.
It was first played in Birmingham, England, in the nineteenth century.
Tennis is one of the most lucrative sports in the world, as well as one of the most popular.
It is the particularly the 6th highest paying sport in the world, with the best paid player earning $106 million a year. Tennis’ regulatory organization is the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
The most popular tennis tournaments and competitions include the US Open, French Open, and Grand Slams.
Roger Federer, a Swiss professional tennis player, is the world’s richest tennis player. He is reported to have an estimated net worth of $450 million.
7. Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey is one of the highest-paid sports in the world, with the highest-paid player earning around $99 million annually. With a net worth of $250 million, Wayne Gretzky, the iconic Canadian star, is the richest ice hockey player in the world.
The nickname “The Fastest Game on Earth” is widely used to describe ice hockey.
Ice hockey is a contact winter team sport played on ice skates on a rink with specially marked lines and markings.
In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to handle, advance and shoot a closed vulcanized rubber disc called a “puck” into the opposing team’s goal.
In 1875, two teams of McGill University students played the first public indoor ice hockey game. They used rules mostly drawn from field hockey, at Montreal’s Victoria Skating Rink.
Ice hockey is Canada’s national winter sport, as well as a popular sport in the United States, Russia, and Australia.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) governs ice hockey. The National Hockey League (NHL) is the world’s most powerful professional ice hockey league.
8. Baseball (MLB)
Baseball is a sport in which two teams of nine players compete against each other on a diamond-shaped field with four white bases.
The game begins when a pitcher from the fielding team tosses a ball that is attempted to be hit with a bat by a player from the batting team.
Today’s baseball sport that we know is a North American adaptation of the ancient game rounder, which was popular among children in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Baseball is the world’s ninth highest paying sport, and it is extremely popular in the United States and Japan.
Alex Rodriguez, a former professional baseball player from the United States, has a net worth of $400 million, making him the richest baseball player in the world.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the world’s oldest major professional sports league and a professional baseball organization.
9. Auto Racing
Auto racing is the 9th highest-paying sport on this list of the highest paid sports in the world. It is also one of the world’s most dangerous sports.
Automobile racing, often known as motor racing, is a professional and amateur automobile sport that takes place on highways, tracks, and closed circuits in various settings.
Since the invention of the vehicle, auto racing has existed. Races of various types were organized, and the earliest of which was reported in 1867.
In the United States and Europe, auto racing is a popular sport.
Michael Schumacher, a former German driver, is the richest auto racing player, with an estimated net worth of $800 million. He has the fastest laps and most races won in a single season records, both of which are still unbeaten.
The highest sum ever earned by an auto racing driver is $18 million, making auto racing one of the best paid sports in the world.
10. Cycling
Cycling is the act of riding a bicycle for the purpose of enjoyment, transportation, or sport.
It is a professional and amateur sport that takes place mostly in Europe, the United States, and Asia. Cycling is also regarded as one of the highest paid sports in the world.
Cycling as a sport originated on May 31, 1868, with a 1,200-meter race between the fountains and the Saint-Cloud Park gate near Paris. The winner was James Moore, an 18-year-old English expatriate from Paris.
Cycling has been regarded as one of the most vigorous sports in the world since the invention of cycles.
In 1899, Charles Minthorn Murphy became the first cyclist to complete a mile in less than a minute, earning him the moniker “Mile-a-Minute Murphy.”
Lance Armstrong, the legendary cyclist, was rated ninth on Forbes’ list of the Richest Players in 2010 with a total income of $28 million.
Cycle racing is divided into numerous categories, and they include road cycling, cyclocross, mountain biking, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway.
See: The Top 10 Richest States in USA.
Summary of the Highest Paid Sports in the world 2022
For a recap, the top 10 highest paid sports in the world are;
- Basketball (NBA)
- Boxing
- American Football (NFL)
- Golf
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Ice Hockey
- Baseball (MLB)
- Auto Racing
- Cycling
Do you think you have talent in any of the above highest paid sports in world? Don’t waste it, sign up at an academy as soon as possible and show the world what you’ve got. You deserve to earn lucratively from such talent.
You could be the next C. Ronaldo, Messi, LeBron James, Roger Staubach, Floyd Mayweather, or even better and most importantly, You could be You.
What do you think of this article on the highest paid sports in the world or highest paying sports in the world or the best paid sports in the world or the most lucrative sports in the world? Kindly let us know in the comment section below.
More Articles:
…){kind=link}