ESPN Highlights Disparity: No Female Athletes in Top 100
The top earners list featured a mix of athletes from football, basketball, boxing, and golf, with Cristiano Ronaldo's lucrative contract and endorsement deals securing his top spot, while female athletes like Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu made notable earnings but fell short of the top 100.
Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list of highest-paid athletes for 2024, earning $260 million, while the top 100 earners, dominated by male athletes from football, the NBA, NFL, golf, and boxing, collectively earned $6.2 billion, with no female athletes making the cut.
The report highlights a significant disparity in earnings between male and female athletes, with the top 15 female athletes earning a combined $221 million, led by Coco Gauff at $30.4 million. This represents a 27% year-over-year increase in earnings for top female athletes, primarily driven by sponsorship deals. Tennis players dominated the list of highest-paid female athletes, with nine out of the top 15 coming from the sport.
The income gap between male and female athletes remains vast, with women's sports leagues like the WNBA and NWSL struggling with significantly lower salaries and revenue compared to their male counterparts. The top 10 earners included athletes from eight sports and 27 countries, with a total income of $6.2 billion in 2024, and no female athletes featured in the top 100.
The lack of representation of female athletes in the top 100 highest-paid athletes list is a concerning trend, despite women's sports experiencing a breakout year. Efforts to address the income disparity and promote greater equality in sports are necessary to ensure that female athletes receive the recognition and compensation they deserve.
