Professional sports are a billion-dollar business. There is a constant flow of cash inside every professional sport, which includes salaries for the athletes and coaches, getting new equipment, planning out the matches, logistics, sponsorship investments, and much more. Annual costs for some sports can be as high as budgets of medium-sized countries. It goes without saying that some sports require more than others, and based on these metrics, we’ve compiled a list of the most expensive sports in the world!
1. Tennis
Huge monetary rewards are the reason why tennis is on this list, and tennis players are at the top of the rankings of the richest athletes in the world. Serena Williams was the highest-paid athlete in 2018. That year she earned over 18 million dollars. And Maria Sharapova, who took the 5th place in that list, made $10.5 million. But the record payment belongs to the Swiss athlete Roger Federer, the winner of Grand Slam tournaments, who earned $60 million a year from advertising alone.
2. Boxing
Spectacular, dangerous, and, therefore, very lucrative. Take, for example, the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight of 2015: a total of $ 400 million was earned in this match alone, and the ticket prices went as high as $ 150,000! The boxers earned $150 mil and $100 mil, respectively, making Floyd Mayweather the highest-paid boxer in history.
3. Golf
Golf is a very exquisite sport, especially among rich and famous, who are willing to make huge deposits to become members of some prestigious golf club. For example, Donald Trump used to have his own golf club. To get in, you needed to pay a $ 350,000 fee. In 2009, Tiger Woods became the first billionaire athlete in history, and most of the money came from advertising. Golfing equipment isn’t cheap either, which is why tourist golf tournaments are popular. You get a chance to win a lot of money, but those clubs make a profit of $ 2,000,000,000 per year.
4. Football (Soccer)
Today’s football is all about that money, and the main source of income for all those football clubs is the player transfers. If you think about it, it’s almost like slavery but with extra steps, only that the players get to earn millions of dollars. Also very important are sponsorships, advertising, TV broadcasts, and all that jazz. The most expensive club in Europe is the Spanish “Real.” In 2019, it cost 3,224,000,000 euros, and its players are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
5. Equestrian sports
A purebred horse can cost more than one million dollars! Their cost is comparable to the most luxurious race cars. In 1983, a fabulous mare named Shareef Dancer was sold at an auction for 40 million dollars! That not taking into account proper maintenance, care, and nutrition, so that the horse will remain in excellent physical shape.
6. Sailing
Why is sailing on this list? Well, first, of course, you’ll need to purchase a yacht. And secondly, you’d need to pimp it out as Xzibit did with cars. The materials are incredibly expensive. Sometimes for the construction of a sports vessel, owners would use space-grade aluminum and other lightweight but sturdy materials. The slightest mistake can cause a decrease in speed, which would cost you the gold medal and the grand prize.
7. Formula 1
And finally, the most expensive sport in the world – “Formula 1” racing. These races became a star attraction in the mid-sixties and are still going strong. Spectacular, nerve-tingling, and extremely popular, these hyper-fast cars require an annual infusion of billions of dollars. Part of that money goes to the construction of racetracks and buying cars, and, of course, the drivers need to eat. In the end, they’re the ones risking their lives and health when going on the track. The average salary of a Formula-1 racer is about 500,000 euros a year, but the winner gets to take home 150 million euros!
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