• Loading stock data...
Monday, October 6, 2025

Top Athletes Flourished While Leagues Lost Money

  • Conor McGregor, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Dak Prescott all made over $100M in the last 12 months, despite the pandemic.
  • Top athletes combined salaries, winnings, sponsorships, and business ventures to have a banner year.
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Major U.S. sports leagues took a combined $14.1 billion revenue hit in 2020, but times have never been better for athletes with towering personal brands.

Four individual athletes earned more than $100 million in the past year, per Forbes’ 2021 tabulation. Endorsement deals, business ventures, and player salaries were factored into earnings estimates. LeBron James fell just short of the 9-figure club at $96.5 million.

At the top of the list, Conor McGregor earned $180 million, primarily from the sale of his whiskey brand, Proper No. 12. He wasn’t the only one to gain more from his business ventures than his day job.

  • Kevin Durant (10th, $75 million), like James, had his salary contained by the NBA salary cap and league-wide pay cuts as a result of the NBA’s $880 million drop in revenue from 2019 to 2020. Durant cashed in from his early investments in Postmates, which Uber acquired last July, and Coinbase, which went public in April. 
  • Roger Federer (7th) showed the power of his brand. Injuries kept him off the court, but he still brought in $90 million from deals with Rolex, Credit Suisse, Uniqlo, and others.

Soccer stars Lionel Messi (2nd, $130 million), Cristiano Ronaldo (3rd, $120 million), and Neymar (6th, $95 million) earned most of their cash from salaries, despite Europe’s big soccer leagues losing an estimated $7.3 billion in revenue from the pandemic.

Just as notable were the absences: No women made the top 10, nor did any baseball or hockey players, highlighting the challenges those sports have had in marketing their biggest stars.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

‘Ultimate Throwback’: The Unimpeachable Cool of Hartford Whalers Gear

Nostalgia and street cred have driven a consistent frenzy for merch.

Lakers’ Luka Trade Shakes NBA, While Mavericks Face Fallout

One of the NBA’s most popular teams gets a major boost.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44), before a 2024 NFC divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium.

The New WAGs: Sports Wives Building Business Empires

Athletes’ wives and girlfriends are bucking stereotypes and cashing in.
Feb 3, 2019; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears mascot dances on the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Haas Pavilion.

The Toll of Bicoastal Travel on New ACC Members Cal and Stanford

Cal and Stanford face missed flights, chaotic sleep schedules, and academic demands.

Featured Today

It’s Starting to Pay to Be Good at Cornhole

American Cornhole League players made $7.7 million in 2024.
PWHL arena
January 25, 2025

PWHL’s Sophomore Year Booms in Canada, Has Room to Grow in U.S.

Attendance is up 30% from last year, the league says.
January 24, 2025

Once Abandoned, Portland Is Regaining Its Place in the WNBA

The next WNBA team is springing up in a once-deserted market.
October 17, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets fan fireman Ed during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
January 24, 2025

Superfandom Is a Lifestyle, Business—and Thorn in Some Teams’ Sides

Rabid fandom has perks—sometimes to the frustration of teams and leagues.
Sep 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) dribbles the ball against New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) during game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center.

A’ja Wilson’s Star Continues to Rise With Release of Nike Shoe

Shoe deals have picked up alongside growing popularity of the WNBA.
Doncic and Davis
February 2, 2025

Mavs, Lakers Swap Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis in League-Shaking Deal

Other picks and players are on the move in the seismic deal.
Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin (left) and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) talk after playing at Acrisure Stadium.
February 3, 2025

Myles Garrett Seeks Trade Ahead of Massive Extension Coming

The Browns star asked for a trade Monday after a 3–14 season in Cleveland.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
January 31, 2025

NBA’s Bet on Victor Wembanyama Validated by Early All-Star Selection

Wembanyama is in his second season.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) plays a ground ball off the bat of Pittsburgh Pirates second base Nick Yorke (38) in the second inning of the MLB National League Game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. The Pirates led 1-0 after four innings.
January 30, 2025

MLB Betting on Elly De La Cruz As a Future Face of..

The 23-year-old phenom is featured in two new marketing campaigns.
Jan 30, 2025; Washington D.C., USA; An Alexandria Fire Department crew departs the Metropolitan Police Department Harbor Patrol facility on its way to the site of the crash between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, VA., on Jan. 29, 2025..
January 30, 2025

U.S., Russian Figure Skaters Killed in Washington Plane Crash

The skaters were returning to Washington from a camp in Kansas.