1 Tiger Woods - £59.3m
2 Phil Mickelson - £31.6m
3 David Beckham – £26.9m
4 LeBron James - £ 25.3m
5 Kimi Raikkonen - £23.9m
6 Manny Pacquiao - £23.8m
7 Lionel Messi - £23.7m
8 Alex Rodriguez - £23.3m
9 Valentino Rossi - £20.9m
9 Fernando Alonso - £20.9m
9 Shaquille O’Neal - £20.9m
12 Kevin Garnett - £20.7m
13 Yao Ming - £19.7m
14 Lewis Hamilton – £19.6m
15 Kobe Bryant - £18.6m
16 Roger Federer - £17.6m
17 Allen Iverson - £17.3m
18 Vijay Singh – 17.1m
19 Derek Jeter - £16.9m
20 Ronaldinho - £16.3m
Although you would expect many of those sportsmen to be on the list (compiled from Sports Illustrated’s figures), it did hold a couple of surprises, the main one being the dominance of basketball, with six representatives. Kevin Garnett, a difference-making player in the NBA, but not that well-known outside of the sport, and left out of the most recent US Olympic team, ranks above a global superstar in Roger Federer. Given that the NBA has a salary cap, whereas European football does not, it is surprising that there are not more footballers on the list, especially given their international appeal, and one would expect the likes of Ronaldo and Kaka to figure in future lists. Basketball however, is a truly international sport these days, with a strong following in Europe and South America, whilst the NBA is increasingly multinational in its make-up. Indeed, perhaps one would have expected Yao Ming to be higher on the list, given his international profile, and marketability in China and Asia. Nonetheless, the level of basketball’s dominance is startling.
That Federer is the only tennis player is also surprising, one would expect the list to be dominated by individual, rather than team sports, although injuries to Rafael Nadal presumably prevented him earning more this year. It is also perhaps surprising that the Williams sisters were not a factor. One might also have expected more golfers to figure, but the dominance of Woods and Mickelson makes it hard for others to build up consistent wins, and both also dominate the market in terms of endorsements. It remains to be seen whether Woods’ personal problems affect his ranking next year, although that would involve Mickelson making up a £28m deficit in one year. Finally, whilst it is not surprising to see the top Formula 1 drivers on the list, it is perhaps a little unexpected to see Valentino Rossi figure so highly, despite the fact that he is perhaps the only figure who currently transcends motorcycle racing into the wider consciousness. Indeed, his endorsements more than double his salary of £9.5m per year.
In coming years, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Jenson Button, Nadal and the aforementioned footballers might expect to break into the top 20, assuming no hiccups along the way. Other one-off events, notably a much-anticipated fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather might also change the makeup of the list. With Woods’ marketability taking a hit recently, there may be a few more opportunities for other sportsmen with international appeal to maximise their earnings.
3 comments:
Your so-called 'list' doesn't feature Albert Pujoles or Plaxico Buress and as such I cannot sustain interest. It is no sort of list that doesn't have those two titans of sport in it.
Pujols is at no.34 on the list of US-born earners, and is due a new contract in 2011. Burress has this week been denied work release from prison, so will be doing well to earn anything. He still holds a special place in the hearts of those who appreciate truly spectacular displays of idiocy however.
even how big you earn it will still go away if your a bad spender like them.
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