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From the biggest superstars in football to basketball, tennis, and even golf. 2022 has been yet another cash-out year for some of the finest sports athletes on the planet.
The 2022 calendar year is gradually nearing its end and 2022 has been one of the most memorable years in sports history.
However, for some of the biggest sports athletes on the globe, winning on the field has been equivalent to their wins off the pitch as well.
Endorsement deals have most times been described as the the ultimate side hustles, with some racking in tens of millions per year and even earning more than half their income from corporate sponsorships.
These endorsements could sometimes ranger from sneaker collaborations to streaming subscriptions,as well as others.
Pulse Sports Nigeria reveals some of the most popular sports stars on the planet who inked the biggest deals with global brands as well as racked in the most cash in 2022 as per Forbes
#10 Serena Williams
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Sport: Tennis
Endorsements/Off-the-Court Earnings: $45,000,000
On-the-Court Earnings: $300,000
Total Earnings: $45,300,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 99.34%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 31
Tennis legend Serena Williams announced her evolution away from professional tennis and played what was expected to be her final match at the 2022 US Open.
The 41-year-old American reportedly earns more of her income from endorsements than any other athlete on this list.
Her top deals are with AbbVie, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Audemars Piguet, Block Inc, DIRECTV, Inc., Ford Motor, Gatorade, Gucci, Hanesbrands, Nike, Subway, Tonal and Wilson Sporting Goods.
#9 Naomi Osaka
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Sport: Tennis
Endorsements/Off-the-Court Earnings: $58,000,000
On-the-Court Earnings: $1,200,000
Total Earnings: $59,200,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 97.97%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 19
Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka reportedly earned about $1.2 million off the court.
The 25-year-old Japanese bagged some top deals including Airbnb, Beats Electronics, BodyArmor, GoDaddy, Hyperice, Levi Strauss & Co, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Mastercard, Morinaga & Company, Nike, Nissan Motor, Panasonic, Sweetgreen, Tag Heuer, Workday, Wowow Inc and Yonex.
#8 Tiger Woods
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Sport: Golf
Endorsements/Off-the-Course Earnings: $67,060,000
On-the-Course Earnings: $40,000
Total Earnings: $68,000,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 98.62%
Position on Forbes' Highest-Paid Athletes List: 14
The world’s greatest golfer, Tiger Woods earned less on the course in 2022 following his recovery from a horrific injury.
However, he still remains one of the highest-paid athletes in the world thanks to contracts with 2K Sports, Bridgestone, Centinel Spine, Full Swing, Hero Motocorp, Kowa Company Ltd., Monster Energy, Nike, Rolex, TaylorMade and Upper Deck.
#7 Tom Brady
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Sport/Team: NFL/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Endorsements/Off-the-Field Earnings: $52,000,000
On-the-Field Earnings: $31,900,000
Total Earnings: $83,900,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 61.98%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 9
NFL legend Tom Brady has been widely regarded as the Greatest quarterback in the history of the sport.
At 45 years old, Brady still earns tens of millions of dollars through deals with brands like Christopher Cloos, Electronic Arts, Fanatics, Hertz Global Holdings, IWC Schaffhausen, Subway, T-Mobile, Under Armour and Wheels Up.
#6 Roger Federer
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Sport: Tennis
Endorsements/Off-the-Court Earnings: $90,000,000
On-the-Court Earnings: $700,000
Total Earnings: $90,700,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 99.23%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 7
Swiss great Roger Federer retired from professional tennis in iconic fashion in September, following the Laver Cup.
However, he’s still at the top of the endorsement deal throne with $90 million worth of contracts with Barilla, Credit Suisse Group (ADS), JURA, Lindt & Sprungli, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz, NetJets, On, RIMOWA, Rolex, Sunrise Communications AG, Switzerland Tourism, Uniqlo and Wilson Sporting Goods.
In fact, only Serena Williams earned a greater percentage of her income from corporate contracts than the 41-year-old maestro.
#5 Kevin Durant
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Sport/Team: Basketball/Brooklyn Nets
Endorsements/Off-the-Court Earnings: $50,000,000
On-the-Court Earnings: $42,100,000
Total Earnings: $92,100,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 54.29%
The superstar power-forward popularly known as KD earns more than half his combined income from deals with 2K Sports, Coinbase, Dapper Labs, Nike and Weedmaps.
#4 Steph Curry
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Sport/Team: Basketball/Golden State Warriors
Endorsements/Off-the-Court Earnings: $47,000,000
On-the-Court Earnings: $45,800,000
Total Earnings: $92,800,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 50.65%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 5
NBA’s greatest shooter Steph Curry’s salary is high enough to account for nearly half his income.
However, the 34-year-old superstar point guard also earns from big-money deals with 2K Sports, Callaway Golf, CarMax, FTX, Google, Panini, Rakuten and Under Armour.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
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Sport: Football
Endorsements/Off-the-Field Earnings: $55,000,000
On-the-Field Earnings: $60,000,000
Total Earnings: $115,000,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 47.83%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 3
The most influential soccer player on the planet, Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo had a hell of a rocky spell in 2022 in the twilight of his glittering career with controversies mostly overshadowing his impressive stats for most of the year.
However, his sponsors still stuck with him as he continued to rack home millions of dollars in deals with brands including Delivery Hero, Herbalife, MTG, Nike, Unilever and Binance.
#2 LeBron James
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Sport/Team: Basketball/Los Angeles Lakers
Endorsements/Off-the-Court Earnings: $80,000,000
On-the-Court Earnings: $41,200,000
Total Earnings: $121,200,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 66%
Position on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 2
Only Lionel Messi earned more combined income than NBA icon King James in 2022. He also reached the 'billionaire athlete' status in 2022.
LeBron pulls in two dollars out of three from deals with Nike, 2K Sports, AT&T, Beats Electronics, Blaze Pizza, Calm, Crypto.com, GMC, PepsiCo, RIMOWA and Walmart.
#1 Lionel Messi
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Sport/Team: Football/Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Endorsements/Off-the-Field Earnings: $55,000,000
On-the-Field Earnings: $75,000,000
Total Earnings: $130,000,000
% of Total Earnings Coming From Endorsements: 42.31%
Place on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes List: 1
As far as endorsement deals go in 2022 with regards to sports athletes on the planet, Lionel Messi earned more than any other athlete in the world across all sports this year.
The 35-year-old Argentine maestro earned more than 40% of his income coming from endorsement deals with Adidas, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Cirque du Soleil, Gatorade, Hard Rock Cafe Inc., Konami, Mastercard, Ooredoo, Pepsi, PepsiCo, Socios.com and YPF. 'Na why we dey call am GOAT!'
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