| Athlete or program | Reported figure | Source |
|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | $300 million total, $65 million off the field | Forbes, May 2026 |
| LeBron James | $137.8 million total, $85 million off the field | Forbes, 2026 |
| Shohei Ohtani | $125 million projected endorsements in 2026 | Sportico |
| Kevin Durant | $103.8 million total, $49 million off the field | Forbes, 2026 |
| Caitlin Clark, Nike | $28 million over eight years | WSJ, The Athletic |
| Patrick Mahomes | About $30 million off the field | Sportico |
| Travis Kelce | About $32 million off the field | Sportico |
Which athletes earned the most from endorsements in 2026?
Ohtani, Ronaldo, LeBron James and Kevin Durant lead the 2026 endorsement earnings reported by Sportico and Forbes. Forbes estimates the 50 highest-paid athletes earned $4.1 billion over the 12 months to May 1, 2026, including $3 billion in salaries, bonuses and prize money and $1.1 billion from endorsements, appearances, memorabilia and other ventures.
1. Shohei Ohtani
Sportico projects Ohtani will earn $125 million in 2026 from sponsors and memorabilia, against a $2 million cash salary, which it says is more than any other athlete in history has earned from endorsements in one year. New Balance is his biggest brand partner, and it expanded his signature collection in 2026, according to Sportico.
Sportico's 2025 list had Ohtani at about $100 million in annual marketing revenue, joining Stephen Curry, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Conor McGregor as the only athletes to reach that level, according to the LA Times. The deal works because Ohtani's partners treat him as a global shoe star, not a baseball endorser.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Forbes estimates Ronaldo earned $300 million over the year to May 1, 2026, the fourth consecutive year he has topped its list, with $235 million from his club Al-Nassr and $65 million from endorsements and other commercial activities. The figure matches the highest annual earnings Forbes has recorded for an athlete.
Sportico's own estimate, cited by Planet Football, is lower at $260 million. The two lists show how much estimates differ even for the same athlete.
3. LeBron James
Forbes puts LeBron James's 2026 earnings at $137.8 million, with $52.8 million on the court and $85 million off it, making him the highest-paid basketball player on its list.
His off-court income is larger than his salary, which shows the model of an athlete building a business alongside a playing career.
4. Kevin Durant
Forbes estimates Kevin Durant earned $103.8 million, with $54.8 million on the court and $49 million off it. Sportico's estimate, cited by Planet Football, is $100.8 million, with about $50 million from endorsements.
Both lists place Durant's endorsement income close to his salary, a split few players reach.
5. Roger Federer
Forbes reports Federer is now a billionaire, with lucrative endorsements and a stake in shoe brand On helping make him the seventh athlete in the three-comma club.
The case shows an equity stake can outlast a playing career, which makes it a term worth negotiating.
Which new signings changed the market?
The new signings of the past two years show how competitive bids and signature products set the terms. Six stand out.
6. Caitlin Clark and Nike
Clark signed an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike that includes a signature shoe, reported by the Wall Street Journal and The Athletic in April 2024, and AP called it the richest sponsorship contract for a women's basketball player. Under Armour reportedly offered $16 million over four years and Adidas $6 million over four years, according to the same reports.
By EPR's arithmetic, Nike's deal averages $3.5 million a year, Under Armour's $4 million and Adidas's $1.5 million, so Nike won on term and the signature shoe. Nike introduced her as a signature athlete in August 2025 with an interlocking CC logo, per CBS Sports, and the "Caitlin 1" release date was set for October 1, 2026, according to Yahoo Sports.
7. Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes has more than a dozen partners, including Adidas, Coors Light, Invisalign, Oakley, State Farm and T-Mobile, and added Panini and Hublot, according to Sportico. Sportico estimates he earns about $30 million off the field, second in the NFL behind Travis Kelce at $32 million.
In 2026 Mahomes appeared with Lionel Messi in an Adidas campaign with Dick's Sporting Goods, Adweek reports. The breadth of categories is what makes his portfolio work.
8. Travis and Kylie Kelce
Travis Kelce earns an estimated $32 million off the field, according to Sportico, and the New Heights podcast signed a Wondery deal reported at more than $100 million, per EPR's analysis of the podcast deal. Wave Sports and Entertainment paired Toyota with Kylie Kelce for a Super Bowl 60 campaign, "Don't Call Me a WAG," Adweek reports.
The family works as a media business, with sponsors buying into shows and campaigns, not only an athlete's name. For the NFL's wider endorsement market, see EPR's NFL endorsement deals.
9. Lionel Messi
Messi starred with Mahomes in the 2026 Adidas and Dick's Sporting Goods World Cup campaign, according to Adweek, and Sportico reported that his brand partners gained from his World Cup run and that Inter Miami's sponsor boom expanded afterward.
The deal works because Messi's partners benefit from his club season and the tournament, not one event.
10. Lamine Yamal
Yamal signed with Adidas in February 2024, according to Goal, and Adweek reports his Adidas partnership and a 28-piece American Eagle collection show his commercial pull at 19. Adweek calls him brands' best hope for the next international sports icon.
The signing shows a young player's endorsement can reach fashion as well as sport.
11. Erling Haaland
Haaland scored seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, and Adweek reports his Instagram following grew from 40 million to 60 million during the tournament. He also featured in Nike's "Rip the Script" campaign.
A bigger following raises the value of every partner attached to him.
The athlete partnerships that built their own platforms gave athletes ownership of content or a clear public identity. Six stand out.
12. Naomi Osaka and Nike
Naomi Osaka's pre-match outfits with Nike have become tournament moments, Adweek reports, from a crystal-encrusted red kit and bubble skirt at the 2025 U.S. Open to a jellyfish-inspired dress at the 2026 Australian Open. A 2026 U.S. Open hooded coat paid tribute to Allen Iverson.
The partnership works because each outfit tells a story that fans discuss.
13. Sprite, Sha'Carri Richardson and Jalen Hurts
Sprite signed Sha'Carri Richardson as its first female athlete partner and Jalen Hurts as its first NFL athlete, and it sponsored the first season of the women's league Unrivaled, Adweek reports.
Sprite marked eight consecutive years of dollar and volume sales growth in 2025, the same source says.
14. Omaha Brand Studio and athlete-owned media
Omaha Brand Studio, part of Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions, is building projects with Jayson Tatum, Flau'jae Johnson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone that let athletes own and scale their content, Adweek reports. Its partners include Bud Light, Nationwide, Macy's, Visa, T-Mobile and Workday.
The model works because brands buy into content the athlete controls.
15. Smac Entertainment's talent deals
Smac Entertainment's Jose Diaz works with Deion Sanders, Erin Andrews and Travis Hunter, and the company facilitated more than 230 brand-talent deals across its 25 clients in 2025, Adweek reports. Revenue grew 16% year over year.
Smac has also produced commercials for Boost Mobile, Diageo, Gerber and Aflac, so one agency handles the deal and the creative.
16. Victus Sports and Major League Baseball
Victus Sports became Major League Baseball's official bat after 28 years of Louisville Slugger, and its Torpedo model took off when Yankees players produced strong results with it, according to Adweek. For the 2026 All-Star Game, Victus made custom bats for the Home Run Derby so players could add a personal touch.
The partnership works because the product itself carries the endorsement.
17. Wave Sports and Entertainment's talent-led shows
Wave combines talent-led programming such as "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" and "House of Maher" with Ilona Maher with cross-platform monetization, Adweek reports.
The shows give athletes a durable franchise, which sponsors can renew each season.
Which NIL and college athlete programs scaled up?
The NIL programs of 2026 scaled by coordinating many athletes at once. Three stand out, all reported by Adweek on October 6, 2026.
18. Postgame and C4 Energy
Postgame activated an athlete from every men's and women's NCAA Tournament team in one national program for C4 Energy, which Adweek says delivered national scale while bypassing multimillion-dollar category sponsorship costs. Postgame has grown into a business of more than $50 million with over 100 brands and more than 60,000 college athletes.
19. CVS and Epic Beauty
CVS's "Epic Beauty" is the largest NIL activation focused on collegiate women athletes to date, with 500 participants, according to Adweek.
20. Dr Pepper's college athlete partnerships
Dr Pepper's NIL partnerships, creators and campus activations such as its Trophy Tour support its Fansville series, whose ninth season lifted dollar sales 7.5%, Adweek reports.
The program works because the athletes sit inside an existing college football story the brand already owns.
Which brand and athlete programs ran through content?
The brand and athlete programs that ran through content measured results in views, impressions and awareness. Five stand out.
21. Chime and its athlete series
Chime's "Ball on a Budget" series earned 123.6 million views and more than 630,000 social engagements, and its partnerships span MLS, NBA and WNBA athletes and creators, Adweek reports. Chime reached 43% unaided awareness.
22. Coinbase and NBA Rookie Firsts
Coinbase's "NBA Rookie Firsts" series, about rookies' professional and financial journeys, earned 18.5 million organic impressions, 749% above benchmark, according to Adweek.
23. Hershey's and Team USA athletes
Hershey's "It's Your Happy Place" interviewed Team USA athletes Hilary Knight, Erin Jackson, Brenna Huckaby, Jason Brown and Jordan Stolz about winning gold, according to ScreenVoice's Milano Cortina ad tracker.
24. Visa and Mikaela Shiffrin
Visa's Milano Cortina film followed skier Mikaela Shiffrin on her journey to the Games, per ScreenVoice, and its Team Visa program put athletes in live storytelling sessions at the Games, according to The Drum.
25. Airbnb's athlete-hosted Experiences
Airbnb launched 26 Experiences hosted by Olympic and Paralympic athletes for Milano Cortina 2026, according to the IOC marketing guide, including a waffle-making class led by British freestyle skier Zoe Atkin, per The Gist.
What do the 25 deals have in common?
The 25 deals share three traits: a signature product or format, a long term, and a value that grows with the athlete's own audience. Clark's Nike deal added a signature shoe, Ohtani's New Balance collection expanded, and Omaha Brand Studio's projects give athletes ownership of their content.
Values also depend on who measures them. Forbes and Sportico gave different 2026 totals for Ronaldo and Durant, so read any figure as an estimate. For how agents frame these deals, read top sports agents and their brands, and for the league-level context, see sports public relations for leagues, teams and athletes.
What should brands and athletes do before negotiating?
Brands and athletes should agree on the term, the product and the content rights before the fee. Clark's bidding shows that a lower annual number can lose to a longer term and a signature shoe, so compare offers per year and by what each one includes.
Ask for a named source and a date on every figure, because totals vary by outlet. Add an equity or ownership option where possible, as Federer's stake in On shows, and measure the result in views, sales or awareness, as Chime and Coinbase did.
