Most Profitable Sports Leagues

Now on to the top 5 sports leagues which generated the most in earnings.

#5

National Basketball Association (NBA): Profit of $207 million

According to Forbes.com, the NBA generated about $207 million in 2006, making it the third most profitable of the big four American pro sports. In 2005, NBA sponsors contributed a total of $360 million. Merchandise sales have increased to $2.1 billion. The league is in a six-year, $4.6 billion television deal, with 15% of that cash coming from overseas.

#4

Formula One: Profit of $435 million

Formula One Administration had a pre-tax profits of $435 million and those results sent the circuit fly past the totals racked up in 2004 which was just $320 million on. Expansion in overseas such as Turkey, China and Bahrain were the reason for the improved finances and gain in profit.

#3

Major League Baseball: Profit of $496 million

In 2004, MLB posted an overall operating loss of $57 million. But in 2006, MLB collectively earned a record operating income of $496 million and according to Forbes.com it is second among the big four American sports leagues. This success was due to ticket prices of being only $22 which led to a gain of total of $1.9 billion. Baseball rivalries has been a factor in generating income and and a great example would be the rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

#2

English Premier League (EPL): Profit of $513 million


Soccer should be another example of the rich getting even richer, especially in Europe. The English Premier League profits doubled to $513 million next season, vaulting soccer ahead of baseball. The sport’s finances by the advisory firm Deloitte said a new TV deal would bring in an extra $592 million of revenue and other revenue increases could bump the overall profits to $3.5 billion.

#1
















National Football League: Profit of $984.5 million

According to Forbes.com, the operating income of the NFL was $984.5 million in 2005. The average NFL team is worth $898 million and current deals with NBC, FOX, ESPN, and CBS will pay the league an average of more than $3 billion a year over the next five years. A typical NFL team makes about $5 million off merchandise sales and totals to $3.2 billion in 2006.