The present global market value of the motor racing sector has already exceeded $5 billion in 2021. By 2022, it is supposed to cross the $6.5 billion benchmark. And that accomplishment alone has earned it a spot this year among the richest sports in the world.
Tennis is a sport that attracts some of the best and wealthiest tennis players. The market value of the entire tennis sector reached $6.06 billion this year. And that worth alone contributed to this sport's ranking as one of the richest in the world in 2022.
In professional boxing, only the promoters' sector had revenue of $348.4 million in 2017. A skilled professional boxer also makes an average pay of $50,000 per year. Who can forget the 4.6 million PPV buy Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight? In addition, that century-defining fight generated $410 million in revenue.
Only 15 countries play this sport and actively take part in international competitions. But given the entire income flow, it unquestionably deserves to rank among the richest sports in the world this year. A recent estimate places the industry worth of cricket at $6 billion for the year. Additionally, in 2022, a professional cricketer's average yearly income will reach around $60,000.
Golf, which was once considered a game for the wealthy, has recently experienced a dramatic increase in popularity. Not because of fame, but also because of the financial benefits of playing this sport. The overall golf industry worth has now exceeded $7 billion worldwide, according to recent surveys.
Soccer, often known as association football, is the sport with the largest industry share worldwide. Nearly $600 billion is the estimated total industry value, accounting for 43% of the entire global financial sports market. The average yearly wage for Premier League football players is currently $1.5 million.
Ice hockey, the national sport of Canada and among the most well-liked in the US, is home to some of the wealthiest athletes. The worth of the ice hockey industry as a whole has reportedly surpassed $60 billion this year, according to recent sources. The US and Canada obviously have the largest interest in that market value. NHL professional ice hockey players receive an average yearly salary of $2.2 million.
American football, sometimes known as "the Gridiron," ought to rank third on our list of the richest sports in the world in 2022. Recent estimates place the industry's total global market worth at close to $200 billion.
This year, the average salary of National Football League players reached $2.4 million.
Although this sport has always enjoyed enormous popularity in the US, Michael Jordan is credited with boosting its popularity on a global scale. According to recent reports, the worldwide market value of basketball is currently projected to be $90 billion. And without a question, the United States owns the largest portion of it.
Basketball, which has the highest average monthly income of any sport in the world, has a smaller market share but still reigns supreme. Currently, the average annual wage for a professional athlete in MLB is $8.5 million.