Last Updated on January 14, 2022 by
The NBA remains the only sports league that pays the most in the United States and worldwide. On average, basketball players earn a huge amount of $8.32 million every year.
In today’s world, sports remains one of the biggest industries in the entertainment industry. Kids, men, and women in the current era are connected professionally to diverse sports. The good thing is, you can earn a very high income as a sportsperson. Hope you’re aware that there’s an athlete with a net worth of more than $2 billion. As a matter of fact, sports superstars make a lot of millions during their professional careers and even after they retire. They make this huge money from endorsement deals with big establishments. There’s been a lot of debate as to which sport pays the most in the United States. That’s where we come in though. We’ve made a long list of the sports that pay the most in the US. Let’s check them out.
Basketball
The NBA which is the most popular basketball tournament in the world remains the highest-paying sports league. Basketball players in the NBA are paid high salaries because of the popularity and stature of the league. Basketball as a sport has started paying very high salaries since 1975, and since then, it has been able to gain a lot of popularity. Not quite long after, basketball became the most-watched sport in the United States. Apart from that, these players earn millions from multiple endorsements. Besides, some of these top NBA basketballers boost their yearly income through signature shoes and jerseys. Take for example, in 1992, Michael Jordan, who is one of the most popular sportspersons in the US, makes the Forbes list of Richest Players with $35.9 million. He didn’t stop there! In 1993, he made $36 million. Michael Jordan also went ahead to make $30 million in 1994, $44 million in 1995, $78 million in 1997, and $69 million in 1998. Shaquille O’Neal’ is another legendary basketball player who attained 6th place in the Forbes list of Richest Players. In 1993 alone, he earned $15.2, followed by $16.7 million in 1994. Don’t be surprised yet! The highest-paid NBA player takes home $343 million per an um. And that makes basketball the highest-paying sport in the world.
Boxing
Boxing, which is sometimes regarded as one of the most dangerous sports in today’s era, picks the second sport on our list of the sports that pay the most in the US. It is one of the oldest sports in the world. Boxing started as far back as 688 BC. This sport famously participates in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Professional boxers go home with a crazy amount of money as their tournament prize money. That’s not all. These well-known boxers get extra money from endorsements from big companies, Pay-Per-View commissions, and betting. In 1991, Mike Tyson, one of the greatest boxers, was top of the Forbes list with $28.6 million. That’s not all. He also topped the Forbes list again in 1996 with $75 million. By the way, in 1992, there was an infamous boxer called “Evander Holyfield” who topped the Forbes list of Richest Players with $60.5 million. Recently, we saw the hegemony of boxers like Floyd Mayweather. In 2012, he topped the Forbes list of Richest Players with $85 million annual pay. Furthermore, he repeated the feat in 2014 when he went home with $105 million. Floyd Mayweather remains the richest boxer in the world at the moment, after earning $333 million from a match. That makes boxing the 2nd highest-paying sport in the world right now.
Golf
Golf is another legendary sport with a high-paying salary. One of the most popular and successful golfers is none other than Tiger Woods. Woods topped the Forbes list of Richest Players for a record of eleven times. In 2002, he first topped the list with a staggering $69 million. Not quite long after, he also topped the list in 2003 with $78 million, in 2004 with $80.3 million, in 2005 with $87 million, in 2006 with $90 million, in 2007 with $100 million, in 2008 with $115 million, in 2009 with $110 million, in 2010 with $105 million and 2011 with $75 million, and finally, Woods tops again in 2013 with a total income of $78.1 million. By the way, it wouldn’t be right to forget another remarkable name in the game of golf. Jack Nicklaus’s name will go down the history line of greatest golfers. In 1994, he attained third place in the list of richest players with $14.8 million.
FAQs
For better understanding, we’ve compiled a detailed list of the frequently asked questions and answers about the sports that pay the most in the United States.
Who Is The Richest Sportsman In 2022?
Michael Jordan is the richest, retired sportsman according to the Forbes list of Richest Athletes in the World. But if you’re talking the richest, active sportsman, then Tiger Woods is the one. According to the Forbes list of Richest Athletes in the World, Tiger Woods has a net worth of $800 million. He’s a professional American golfer.
How Much Do The Baseball Players Earn?
On average, a baseball player earns $4 million in 2021 according to recent data. Baseball makes the list of the top ten most paying sports in the world. Besides, MLS, Major League Baseball, is the most famous baseball league in the United States, and some of MLS players make the list of the Forbes richest athletes.
What Are The Most Popular Sports In The World?
Basketball, American Football, Cricket, Tennis, Baseball, Golf, and Volleyball are among the most popular sports in the world. Most of these sports are also regarded as the highest-paying sports in today’s world. More of a reason why most young athletes strive to participate in these sports.
Final Word
Just like we said earlier, basketball claims the first spot on our list of sports that pays the most in the United States. We’ve reached the closing chapter of this informative article. We hope you were able to find good and reliable resources in your quest to know what sport pays the most in the US. If you have any questions or comments about the article topic, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks!
