Sports Value has been tracking the growth of U.S. sports leagues over the past decades, particularly the NBA.
The professional basketball league reached a record level of revenue and, for the first time in history, surpassed MLB, which had always ranked as the world’s second richest sports league.
The NBA is undoubtedly the most disruptive league in global sports and has been one of the most successful organizations in leveraging its superstars and expanding into new markets on a global scale.
Leagues Revenues
The BIG 5 U.S. sports leagues are expected to generate more than US$ 58 billion in revenue this season.
NFL
Recent figures indicate that the NFL will finish this season with a record US$23 billion in revenue, driven by its media rights agreement worth more than US$14 billion per year, US$3.9 billion in gameday revenue, and US$2.7 billion in sponsorship revenue.
NBA
Last year, the NBA generated US$12.5 billion in revenue and saw revenues increase by 14%, reaching US$14.3 billion. The main driver is the league’s new US$76 billion media rights agreement over 11 years, which will generate nearly US$7 billion per year. The league also benefits from US$4 billion in gameday revenue and US$1.9 billion in sponsorship revenue.
MLB
MLB’s revenues have remained relatively flat. The league generated US$11.3 billion last year and is expected to reach US$11.8 billion this year. Media rights revenue totals US$4 billion per year, while gameday revenue reaches US$4.2 billion, and sponsorship revenue totals US$1.4 billion.
NHL
The NHL has seen its revenues exceed US$7 billion. Media rights revenue stands at US$1.1 billion per year, gameday revenue at US$3.2 billion, and sponsorship revenue at US$1.4 billion.
MLS
MLS has reached US$2.3 billion in revenue. Media rights revenue totals US$0.4 billion per year, gameday revenue US$0.9 billion, and sponsorship revenue US$0.7 billion.
NBA Salary Cap Set for Significant Growth
With this strong revenue growth, the NBA salary cap will continue to increase, allowing teams to spend even more on superstar players.
The salary cap is the maximum amount each team is allowed to spend on player salaries.
The current salary cap is US$154 million per team and will increase to US$170 million this season, surpassing US$226 million by the 2029–30 season.
NBA Salary Cap Projection
- 2025–26: ~US$ 154 million
- 2026–27: ~US$ 170 million
- 2027–28: ~US$ 187 million
- 2028–29: ~US$ 205 million
- 2029–30: ~US$ 226 million
The maximum salary allowed for elite players currently stands at US$62.6 million per year, as in Stephen Curry’s contract with the Golden State Warriors.
By the end of the decade, a standard veteran Supermax contract is expected to exceed US$80 million per year.
