Billions of people worldwide watch sports on a daily basis. Thanks to some of the world’s most popular leagues, fans have access to various matches that often feature the best players in the given sports.
Speaking of sports leagues, the team at Nostrabet and I decided to analyze all of the richest sports leagues. I went through multiple options and learned more about the sponsors, TV rights, and everything else that brings them money.
Before starting my research, I expected a specific sport to be way above the rest, but this was not the case. Many of the results surprised me, and I am confident you will also learn something from them, so let’s dive in.
#1 National Football League
Following my research, it became clear that the National Football League is the leading sports league in terms of revenue.
- The stats that I have access to reveal that the NFL generated close to $20.24B for Season 2023. In fact (as you will see in a bit), it is almost twice as high as the second league on the list.
- The NFL is the world’s leading American football competition that brings together all top-tier teams and players. Held in the US, it has 32 teams, and there are usually around 285 matches.
- Among the reasons why the NFL is so high on the list is because of the Super Bowl. This is a lot more than just a sports event because it brings together millions of people from around the world.
Alongside watching some of the best American football teams in action, NFL betting is also one of the reasons for the league’s popularity. The growing number of sports bettors in the US and those who like American football worldwide often decide to punt on their favorite teams and players. Consequently, this makes the NFL even more popular.
#2 National Basketball Association
While researching the topic, I expected the National Basketball Association to be first on the list. However, the data reveals that the NBA is second with a revenue of $13B for season 2023-24.
- Everyone knows that the NBA is the most prestigious league in basketball. It brings together the best in the world, and millions watch their favorite players and teams in action.
- The NBA usually has 30 teams, and many of them have at least several big basketball superstars. With Canadian and US teams, the NBA is truly in a league of its own regarding basketball.
- To give you an idea of its popularity and revenue, the second-highest basketball league in the world is the Chinese Basketball Association. The latter generated only around $655M in revenue.
Basketball has always been a fan favorite when it comes to wagering. Those interested in betting on basketball know that the NBA always has something in stock, so it’s the preferred option for many punters. Bookies also know that, so they provide exclusive promotions, lucrative markets, and more.
#3 Major League Baseball
Even though baseball is not on the same level of popularity as some of the other sports you will read about, I wasn’t surprised it is so high on the list. Major League Baseball is one of the go-to options for American sports fans, and the statistics prove it.
- Based on my research, the MLB’s revenue for Season 2023 reached close to $11.6B, which is really impressive. The 30 best teams from Canada and the US offered people the opportunity to watch the world’s best baseball players.
- Some stats revealed that the average salary of an MLB player is close to $4.9M, which is impressive.
- The MLB had some issues in 2020, but the league has been on the rise since then. Like most big sports leagues, this one generates revenue thanks to numerous sponsorship deals, broadcasting rights, ticket sales, and more.
Although not many people outside of the US bet on the MLB, baseball can be a solid option for online bettors. Most sites provide good markets and competitive odds, and some may even offer extra bonuses.
Aside from the MLB, the next baseball competition that is among the world’s richest sports leagues is the NBP from Japan, followed by the MiLB in the US and Canada.
#4 Premier League
Before I conducted my research, I expected the world’s most famous football league to be the first on the list. Well, the English Premier League is fourth behind the three main sports competitions in the US.
- Despite being fourth, the Premier League blows all other European football championships out of the water. The most recent data shows that the league’s revenue was close to $7.73B, almost as high as the stats from La Liga and the Bundesliga.
- The EPL has 20 of the best football teams in the world, and it’s safe to say it is one of the most popular football competitions globally. Millions from every country follow their favorite teams in action.
- Many stats show that the average football club in the EPL is worth close to $1.64B, which is mind-blowing.
- It goes without saying, but the English Premier League has been/is home to some of the best footballers in the world.
- Like all other big sports competitions, this one generated revenue from advertising, TV rights, and more.
Millions of people bet on football and want to choose the top sites to place bets on the English Premier League because of its popularity. This is one of those options that you will find everywhere, and most bookmakers will have more than enough markets and good odds. Of course, there will also be at least several different propositions.
#5 National Hockey League
The next option on the list of the richest sports leagues is the National Hockey League. The NHL consists of 32 hockey teams from the US and Canada, and it also has fans from many corners of the world.
- Based on the stats, the NHL’s most recent revenue was around $6.43B, which is significantly lower than the other top American leagues. Some sources claim that the revenue is projected to reach $6.6B for season 2024-25, meaning that more and more people are interested in it.
- The NHL generates a lot of its revenue from broadcasting rights. With that said, there are also many different kinds of sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and more.
Formed in 1917, this league has always been the go-to option for ice hockey fans. Those wishing to place bets on NHL matches will usually find more than enough options when using a given bookie. Despite not being everyone’s go-to option, ice hockey attracts more people every year, and the NHL is the first league they focus on.
#6 La Liga
Also known as the Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera Division, La Liga is Spain’s most prestigious football competition. Home to teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid, I wasn’t surprised to find out that it is one of the richest sports leagues in the world.
- The stats that I found show that La Liga’s revenue reached around $5.71B. This is substantially less than the other top-tier football competition mentioned so far (English Premier League), but it is unsurprising.
- Although every team in La Liga has loyal fans, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid are on another level in terms of popularity, so they are also the 3 main names responsible for the competition’s revenue.
- Like the EPL, La Liga is also home to 20 football clubs.
- I found out that the majority of its revenue comes from different sponsorship deals with some of the world’s biggest companies. Of course, we also need to mention TV rights because millions of people from every country follow their favorite team.
Football is the most popular sport for online bettors, so those wishing to bet on La Liga will find plenty of options. Besides all of the standard markets and competitive odds available across all sports, I often come across special options when Barcelona and Real Madrid face each other.
Honorable Mentions
Alongside the richest sports leagues mentioned so far, there are several other options that deserve to be on the list. Interestingly, after La Liga, the next 5 places in terms of revenue all belong to football competitions.
For example, the Bundesliga is number 7, with a revenue of around $4.78B, followed by Serie A, where the revenue is $3.91B. After that, we have League 1 in France, which costs $2.58B, and MLS, which costs $2.23B.
I believe that all of these numbers will increase even more in the next couple of years. As more and more people become interested in watching sports and wagering on them, it is a matter of time before all of these leagues gain new fans. It will be interesting to revisit these numbers in the future, so make sure to follow Nostrabet’s site for more information.
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