Why does the NBA make more money than the NFL?
The NFL makes more money than NBA players. NFL players average about $14 million a year, almost twice what NBA players make. The league spends nearly double as much on the players, as well, so they are able to attract higher TV audiences and generate more revenue.
An NFL team also has 53 players on its active roster, compared to 35 for baseball and just 14 for an NBA team; in order to fit everything under a hard salary cap, the average salary has to be lower. They play only 16 games during a season. MLB has 162 games, and the NBA plays 82 games.
Peyton Manning's $26.4 million salary (in average annual value) topped the NFL list while Kobe Bryant's $25.2 million salary led the NBA list. In 2021, the highest-paid MLB player (Mike Trout at $37.1 million) made less than 11 NBA players and four NFL players (as measured by average annual value).
NBA slots are very limited so it is easier to get into the NFL. If you want to get into the NBA, basketball athleticism is required and it is obviously not something that can be developed simply in the weightroom.
Basketball is the most lucrative sport globally, which is not surprising. The finest basketball players in the NBA not only make millions of dollars in payments each year, but they also receive more endorsements and sponsorship money than any other athlete in any other sport.
Sports are an important part of culture in the United States. Historically, the national sport has been baseball. However, in more recent decades, American football has been the most popular sport in terms of broadcast viewership audience.
Lowest average salary in the NFL? Special teams are at the bottom of the salary list, averaging $2.775 million. Second-lowest paid players are the running backs, to many's surprise.
Years experience | Minimum salary for a player on an Active/Inactive list | Minimum salary for a player not on an Active/Inactive list |
---|---|---|
0 | $705,000 | $430,000 |
1 | $825,000 | $455,000 |
2 | $895,000 | $480,000 |
3 | $965,000 | $505,000 |
The NFL is one of the biggest and most profitable sports leagues in the United States, yet average player salaries are less than their peers in the MLB and NBA. There are three big reasons for the disparity in pay: league structure, salary caps and rules around “guaranteed money” for players.
But one of the reasons pro athletes make so much money is that we love to watch their games. Media companies pay the leagues and teams billions of dollars for the rights to show the games on television and other video devices. These businesses pay the money because they know millions of fans will watch the games.
What sport makes more money football or basketball?
The NBA leads in average player salaries by a wide margin, as evidenced by Statista's list that also includes average 2019-2020 player salaries for the MLB, NFL, NHL and the MLS: Average NBA salary: $8.32 million. Average MLB salary: $4.03 million. Average NFL salary: $3.26 million.
As mentioned earlier, American Football involves both pushing and tackling which makes American football much more physical than basketball; furthermore, since athletes playing American Football usually weigh more compared with basketball players this makes them harder hitters!

The best professional football players learn how to dissect the game and their opponents long before they take the field. College athletes never have the luxury of going so in-depth. So, essentially everyone in college is on a relatively even playing field in terms of preparation.
Football. Football is the sport that causes the most injuries, with an estimated 455,449 annually.
Different sports pay very differently, athletes are separated in salary by very large margins and many athletes are overpaid. Now, allow me to give you some examples of how much some people in non-sports industries make each year. These numbers may vary depending on the specific area of expertise.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the UEFA Champions League Final is one of its biggest events.
Hockey: The Most American Sport That Americans Won't Watch.
The fact that 1960 is the last time baseball reigned supreme is notable. The sports landscape has changed dramatically from 62 years ago. One big reason baseball no longer finds itself the darling of American sports is competition and the dawn of the television age.
With only 30 teams in the league and an unrivaled system in place to make money through television, sponsorships, merchandising, and, of course, ticket sales, the NBA is the king of money-making in the sports world.
In the US, it's golf. There are over 28,000 members of the Professional Golfer's Association in this country. That is a huge number compared to baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, tennis, bowling, or volleyball players or rodeo riders. Of course, most golf pros don't actually make their living playing golf.
How much does a NFL cheerleader make?
Different media published the common rate of pay for NFL cheerleaders is $150 each game day and $50-75 per public appearance, which comes out to about $22,500 per year.
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Current Contract.
Contract: | 1 yr(s) / $15,000,000 |
---|---|
Total Guarantees | $15,000,000 |
Guaranteed at Signing | $15,000,000 |
Free Agent: | 2023 / UFA |
According to the major sports sites (including FanDuel), NFL referees make about $205,000/year.
They earn a weekly salary but only during the season with conditions set on whether they play and how they perform. Like other workers they get bonuses that are paid outside the regular schedule of payments. In order to understand how NFL players get paid, a look at different parts of their contracts is needed.
Unlike in college, mascots in the NFL can earn up to $60,000 a year. Only a very few professionals however are able to earn more than the proposed amount, if they signed worthy contracts with their teams. The Dallas Cowboys' Rowdy, for example, earns $65,000 per year, which makes sense as the mascot of 'America's team.