Sports is more than just a recreation. It has slowly grown into becoming a full-fledged industry and several sportspersons earn their entire income from just playing sports.
And with the inception of sports leagues across the globe, the sportspersons have been earning lucrative amounts of money from the leagues.
Be it the Indian Premier League (IPL) or the National Football League (NFL), the sports leagues dictate the entire sporting ecosystem of the world. They have left an indelible impression and mark on the viewers heads and have been ruling the roost since their beginning.
In this article, we take a look at the top 10 richest sports leagues in the world:
1. National Football League (NFL)
| League | National Football League (NFL) |
| Sport | Football |
| Started In | 1920 |
| Annual Revenue | $11.98 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Barclays, Pizza Hut, Points Bet and others |
With a total of 32 teams participating in this competition, the NFL is considered as one of the most respected sports leagues in the world. NFL is considered the richest sports league in the world and has an annual revenue of $11.98 billion.
Be it ticket sales or broadcasting rights, the NFL is right there at the top and is a mixture of brand strategy and business acumen.
2. Indian Premier League (IPL)
| League | Indian Premier League (IPL) |
| Sport | Cricket |
| Started In | 2008 |
| Annual Revenue | $11 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Dream11, Paytm, VisitSaudi and others |
The IPL is nothing short of a visual spectacle and is the heartbeat of every Indian citizen. With so much action, drama and entertainment oozing out from it, the IPL has carved a niche in the entire Indian sporting ecosystem.
With an annual revenue of $11 billion, the IPL has been a lucrative affair for the cricketers. With heavy pay-checks, IPL has completely revolutionized the entire sporting ecosystem of India.
The lucrative IPL broadcast rights were acquired by Star Sports for an incredible Rs. 23,575 crores, good for five years (2023–2027).
3. Major League Baseball
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Started In | 1876 |
| Annual Revenue | $10.3 billion |
| Current Sponsors | T-Mobile, Chevrolet, Budweiser and others |
Baseball is a household sport in USA and several fans and lovers of this game flock to the stadiums in regular intervals to witness these high-profile matches. It is also one of the oldest baseball leagues in the world and had its inception in 1876.
It has an annual revenue of $10.3 billion and this speaks volumes about the popularity of this entire baseball league, based out of USA.
4. National Basketball Association (NBA)
| League | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Started In | 1946 |
| Annual Revenue | $10 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Nike, PepsiCo, Taco Bell and others |
The likes of Lebron James, Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan have all come to the fore after playing the NBA. It has a huge valuation and has an annual revenue of $10 billion. It had started way back in 1946 and has become an immensely successful and rich sports league in the world.
Several heavyweight teams like Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are the frontrunners when it comes to raising brand value of the NBA.
5. Premier League (PL)
| League | Premier League (PL) |
| Sport | Football |
| Started In | 1992 |
| Annual Revenue | $5.3 billion |
| Current Sponsors | SkySport, Amazon Prime, BT Sport and others |
England is considered as a top player in the business market of football in the world and this contributes largely because of the Premier League. It is the top-tier football league of England and has an annual revenue of $5.3 billion.
The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are fan-favourite teams and have contributed largely to the overall success of this football league.
6. National Hockey League (NHL)
| League | National Hockey League (NHL) |
| Sport | Hockey |
| Started In | 1917 |
| Annual Revenue | $4.8 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Discover, Coca Cola, Adidas and others |
The NHL has an annual revenue of $4.8 billion and stands out as the most popular and richest hockey league in the world. Lucrative sponsorship deals, world-class players, merchandise sales, ticketing sales and eye-catching broadcast deals has facilitated in the revenue generation of this league.
We can expect this ice hockey league to become a bigger brand in the coming days as it has a huge potential. With sponsors such as Adidas and Coca Cola, this vision will be very much feasible.
7. La Liga
| League | La Liga |
| Sport | Football |
| Started In | 1929 |
| Annual Revenue | $4.5 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Castore, Adidas, Nike and others |
After the Premier League, the La Liga is the biggest and the grandest football league in the world. Several top-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos have played this football league and have made it a huge brand.
8. Bundesliga
| League | Bundesliga |
| Sport | Football |
| Started In | 1962 |
| Annual Revenue | $4.3 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Puma, Adidas, AWS and others |
The Bundesliga has disclosed that the aggregate revenue of its 18 clubs surpassed 4 billion euros ($4.33 billion), indicating a 5.4 percent rise over 2018. This in itself is a sure testament to Bundesliga’s immense popularity and its increasing brand value.
It was started in 1962 and has slowly and gradually made itself, a leader in the football league market.
9. Serie A
| League | Serie A |
| Sport | Football |
| Started In | 1898 |
| Annual Revenue | $2.8 billion |
| Current Sponsors | TIM, Crypto.com, Puma and others |
Italy’s Serie A is one of the largest football leagues in the world, having been founded back in the 1800s. One of the richest football leagues in the world, this league’s legacy, tradition, and allure have contributed to its significant revenue generation.
Serie A has an annual revenue of $2.8 billion and is Italy’s biggest football league.
According to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance, Serie A clubs saw the largest percentage increase in aggregate income in 2020–21 among the five major European football leagues, growing by a collective 23% to $2.7 billion (€2.5 billion).
10. UEFA Champions League
| League | UEFA Champions League |
| Sport | Football |
| Started In | 1955 |
| Annual Revenue | $2.8 billion |
| Current Sponsors | Mastercard, Oppo, Heineken and others |
All the top football teams in Europe play the UEFA Champions League and it is considered as one of the most prestigious leagues in the world. It has an annual revenue of $2.8 billion and is considered as the ultimate pride for footballers.
Be it sponsorships or brand endorsements or even broadcast deals, the UEFA Champions League is right at the top of the business leaders in football.
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