Do you know who the most endorsed sports person in the world is? It’s FedEx. According to Forbes, Roger Federer earns $58M as endorsement!
In Forbes list of top 100 world’s highest paid athlete, only cricketer and the only Indian is Mahendra Singh Dhoni, at 23rd spot with $31M pay.
Highest paid athlete in the world :
In most of the countries, Sports are given very little share of their annual budget. But there are few athletes who can buy even an island. Let’s check, top 5 highest paid athlete in the world.
1. Floyd Mayweather
Sports – Boxing
Pay – $300M
Salary/winning – $285M
Endorsement – $15M
Mayweather’s $300 million year shatters the record for athlete earnings, which was previously held by Tiger Woods who banked $115 million in 2008. Mayweather’s May 2 fight against Manny Pacquiao crushed multiple boxing financial records, including PPV buys (4.4 million), total gate ($73 million) and sponsorships ($13 million). The fight is expected to gross more than $600 million once everything is counted. Mayweather has typically shunned endorsement deals, but inked agreements with Hublot, FanDuel and Burger King ahead of the May fight. The Pacquiao fight marked the fifth bout in the blockbuster 30-month, six fight deal he signed with Showtime in 2013. Mayweather, whose record stands at 48-0, plans to fight in September to complete his Showtime deal and then retire.
2. Manny Pacquiao
Sports – Boxing
Pay – $160M
Salary/winning – $148M
Endorsement – $12M
Pacquiao’s $125 million payday for his bout against Floyd Mayweather was four times his previous high for a boxing match (Pacman’s boxing earnings also include $23 million for his November fight against Chris Algieri). Pacquiao boosted his income further through endorsement deals with Nike, Foot Locker, Wonderful Pistachios, Nestle’s Butterfinger and a handful in the Philippines. The pugilist and Filipino Congressman is sidelined for the rest of 2015 after shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
Sports – Soccer
Pay – $79.6M
Salary/winning – $52.6M
Endorsement – $27M
The three-time and reigning FIFA best player in the world has scored 60 or more goals in each of the last four calendar years and averages a goal a game for his club Real Madrid. He has a $50+ million a year salary (with bonuses) through 2018 to show for it. He’s also the world’s most popular athlete, with 102 million Facebook and 35 million Twitter followers. His commercially good looks have landed him mega sponsorships with Nike and his own underwear and shirt line CR7.
4. Lionel Messi
Sports – Soccer
Pay – $73.8M
Salary/winning – $51.8M
Endorsement – $22M
In 2014, Barcelona awarded their record four-time FIFA player of the year with a $9 million a year raise in his 7th contract since 2005 to bring his take home pay to $50 million a year through 2018. The Argentine holds records for most goals in Barca competitions, most goals in La Liga competitions, most goals scored in a calendar year and most hat tricks scored. His superhuman talent is why sponsor Samsung cast him as superhero Iron Man in their ad to promote the Avengers film. It’s also why his main sponsor Adidas launched a Messi icon line of shoes and apparel which has exceeded company sales expectations, including in the U.S.
5. Roger Federer
Sports – Tennis
Pay – $67M
Salary/winning – $9M
Endorsement – $58M
After seeing his world ranking drop to No. 7 in 2013, Federer rebounded last year and finished the year ranked second. He continues to be among the world’s best players 17 years after he turned pro. He holds the records for most singles Grand Slam wins (17) and career prize money ($90 million). He appeared in a staggering 18 out of 19 Grand Slam finals between 2005 and 2010. His endorsement portfolio is filled with long-term deals with blue-chip companies like Nike, Rolex and Credit Suisse. He extended his Mercedes-Benz deal at the end of 2014 for another three years. His sponsors collectively pay him more than $40 million annually. The latest addition is a five-year pact with Sunrise, the largest private telecommunications provider in Switzerland.
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