2024’s Biggest Sports Broadcasting Contracts in the US and Worldwide

2022's Biggest Sports Broadcasting Contracts in the US and Worldwide

With the number of sports fans constantly growing, broadcast networks and major sports leagues make sure to use this interest to make quite a bit of money. Do you know which sports leagues and networks have signed the biggest sports broadcasting contracts?

In this article, we’ll reveal some of the biggest TV rights deals in sports and see how much is generated in TV revenue by sports broadcasting. 

Ready to start? Let’s dig into the numbers! 

10 Biggest TV rights deals in sports

Let’s see which sports leagues and TV networks have the highest TV rights in sports. 

NFL 

The NFL is one of the best sports leagues in the world, so it’s no surprise that broadcast networks (such as CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and Amazon) give the most money on NFL broadcasting rights which last about 11 years. By the end of this deal, the NFL will have earned $105 billion in revenue only from all the sports broadcasting contracts signed!

With even non-sport fans tuning in to check out the Super Bowl halftime show, TV networks that broadcast the NFL truly have signed some of the biggest TV rights deals in sports.  Furthermore, the average cost of a half-minute commercial for the Super Bowl was $6.5 million.

NBA 

NBA players are known for their big sponsorships and the NBA itself for signing some of the highest sports broadcasting contracts ever. The revenue generated from international broadcasting is growing year over year, and there’s no telling the amount it’ll reach in the next couple of years. 

In fact, it is believed the NBA will ask for up to $75 billion for renewing broadcasting rights deals, which could be one of the biggest TV rights deals in sports history. Right now, ABC, ESPN, and Turner Sports have nine-year-long NBA broadcasting rights worth $24 billion.

The NBA is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, as NBA players sign shoe deals that are worth up to $32 million per year.

Premier League 

The Premier League is one of the most powerful and exciting football championships for viewers worldwide. This is why the rights signed by this top football league are some of the highest TV rights in sports and why they also have some of the best managers in the world.


Until the new deal is signed, networks that have Premier League broadcasting rights include Sky Sport, BT Sport, Amazon Prime and BBC Sport. The Premier League generates £4.46 in revenue from rights deals, and the latest reports predict that it could generate up to £10 billion in TV revenue over the next three years after new rights deals have been signed.

MLB

Much like the NFL and NBA, MLB (Major League Baseball) is quite a popular sport worldwide, especially in the US. This is precisely why broadcasters like ESPN and Turner Sports have signed some of the biggest TV rights deals in sports with MLB worth around $7.12 billion which will last 7 years.

For fans who’d like to watch MLB games on the go, MLB has also signed a streaming rights deal with Apple.

Bundesliga

The German national football league is one of the biggest in Europe and worldwide, and it has a lot of fans eager to watch matches both live and on television. This is why the Bundesliga gets around €4.3 billion from various broadcasters (including Sky Sport) over the period of 4 years, making it one of the biggest TV rights deals in sports. 

Serie A 

If you want to watch football matches between some of the biggest football clubs in Italy and Europe, you can follow the entire Serie A on BT Sport (in the UK). RAI has signed one of the highest sports broadcasting contracts, paying €2.8 billion for domestic broadcasting rights for seasons from 2021/22 to 2023/24.

La Liga 

Broadcast networks aren’t afraid to give quite a bit of money for sports broadcasting contracts. This includes DAZN and Movistar, which paid €4.95 million for domestic La Liga broadcasting rights from season 2022/23 until the end of the 2026/27 season. 

NHL 

After ending its partnership with NBC Sport in 2021, one of the most profitable sports leagues, the NHL, signed off domestic broadcasting rights to ESPN and Turner Sports. These two networks will pay $1 billion for having exclusive rights to broadcast NHL matches until 2028.

Australian Football League (AFL)

While Australian football isn’t that popular worldwide, it is popular in the Southern hemisphere. In fact, TV networks such as Seven West Media, Foxtel, and Telstra have signed some of the biggest TV rights deals in sports – at least in Australia. They signed contracts worth $2.5 billion to have broadcasting rights for 7 years, ending in 2022.

Indian Premier League (IPL)

Cricket may not be a big thing globally, but it is in countries of Southern Asia, especially India. Star India (owned by Disney) currently owns the broadcasting rights for IPL matches, according to a US$2.55 billion deal ending after the 2022 season.

It is estimated that the rights for the next five-year cycle could generate more than US$5.3 billion for IPL, which would be one of the highest TV rights in sports.

Conclusion

We all love watching our favourite athletes and teams compete, and that’s why the biggest sports broadcasting contracts come as a direct response to the constantly increasing fan demand.

As fans, we can’t wait to tune in to our favourite sports leagues, and TV broadcasters worldwide know exactly what they’re paying for.

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