Top 10 Sports Leagues in the World 2023: Sports have become one of the most lucrative parts of the entertainment industry, earning billions of dollars from various sources. Sports leagues and sports teams profit from sponsorships, ticket revenues, transfers, stadium rentals, broadcasting deals, and much more.
Below you can find the top 10 biggest sports leagues in the world in terms of how much money they make and their viewership around the World.
Top 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the World 2023
Now let us discuss in detail each of the Top 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the World in the year 2023:
| Rank | League | Revenues |
| 1. | National Football League (NFL) | $16 billion |
| 2. | Major League Baseball (MLB) | $10 billion |
| 3. | National Basketball Association (NBA) | $8 billion |
| 4. | Indian Premier League (IPL) | $7 billion |
| 5. | English Premier League (EPL) | $5.3 billion |
| 6. | National Hockey League (NHL) | $4.8 billion |
| 7. | La Liga | $4.5 billion |
| 8. | Bundesliga | $4.3 billion |
| 9. | Serie A | $2.3 billion |
| 10. | UEFA Champions League (UCL) | $2 billion |
#1. National Football League (NFL)
European football is by far the most popular sport in the world. However, American football is the most profitable. The National Football League (NFL) is valued at $13 billion.
According to Forbes, the Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports team in the whole league.
#2. Major League Baseball (MLB)
Major League Baseball is another sports league that is not popular globally. Its fan base is mostly centered in the United States.
The net worth of MLB is around $10 billion annually, which means that each of the participating teams brings in a profit of more than $300 million.
#3. National Basketball Association (NBA)
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world in general, so it’s natural that the NBA is followed in North America and other parts of the world. According to Forbes, for the first time in NBA history, every NBA franchise is worth at least $1 billion.
#4. Indian Premier League (Cricket)
Cricket is one of the least popular sports on our list of the most profitable ones. But the Indian Premier League is the fastest-growing sports league in the world. A big part of IPL’s annual revenue comes from the broadcasting deal with Star India, worth $2.55 billion.
#5. English Premier League
The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world, at least when it comes to football. This League makes around $5.3 billion a year in revenues, largely coming from TV broadcasting rights, as is the case with almost all other most valuable sports leagues on this list.
#6. National Hockey League (NHL)
Surprisingly the National Hockey League is in the sixth position on our list of sports leagues ranked by revenue even though ice hockey is not in the top 10 most popular sports in the world.
At the end of the 2017/2018 season, the NHL generated around $4.43 billion in revenue. Not much has changed in the following season, but the numbers still rose slightly.
#7. Australian Rules Football
Australian Rules Football is far less popular than its American rival, the National Football League. AFL ended the year with a revenue of $2.5 billion.
The biggest teams, such as Collingwood Football Club and Hawthorne Football Club profited the most from it.
#8. La Liga (Spanish Football League)
La Liga is the biggest Spanish football league and the 8th on our list of the most profitable sports leagues. Two big factors that influence La Liga’s profits include commercial revenues and revenues from transfers. There are also ticket sales and broadcasting revenues, which are key for every league.
#9. Serie A (Italian Football League)
Serie A is doing much better now than in previous years. This might be thanks to some of the most popular footballers in the world transferring to Italy, such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
#10. Ligue 1 (France/Monaco Football League)
At the moment, PSG is the most expensive sports team in Ligue 1, with a total market value of just over $1 billion, according to Transfermarkt.
Ligue 1 is still not dominating the world’s football revenues, but that will change for the better in the 2020/2021 season when a new TV broadcasting deal is going to comes into action.
Conclusion
This list of the Top 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the World 2023 tries to indicate which sports leagues pay all players and teams to participate. In other words, these athletes might be called professionals in their chosen sport. Although some leagues do not pay well enough for players to utilize them as their major or exclusive source of income, it is nevertheless called professional or semi-professional since the players get compensated. As a result, some of the leagues on this list may not be truly professional.
FAQs Regarding Top 10 Sports Leagues in the World 2023
Which is the richest sports league in the world?
The National Football League (NFL)
The National Football League (NFL) is the world’s most valuable sports league, with a market value of $13 billion.
Which is the richest sports league in the world?
IPL (Indian Premier League)
The IPL has become one of the richest athletic leagues in the world thanks to the offers, which totaled INR 44,075 Cr ($5.64 Bn). According to Forbes, the National Football League (NFL) in the United States is the most lucrative athletic league, with each match costing a broadcaster roughly $36 million.
What is the fastest-growing sports league in the world?
IPL (Indian Premier League)
The Indian Premier League(IPL) is the fastest-growing sports league in the world.
What is the second biggest league in the world?
Major League Baseball (MLB) — $10 Billion
As per our list, Major League Baseball (MLB) — $10 Billion is the second biggest league in the World.
What are the top 5 Leagues?
Following are the top 5 leagues in the World:
1. National Football League (NFL)
2. Major League Baseball (MLB)
3. National Basketball Association (NBA)
4. Indian Premier League (Cricket)
5. English Premier League
