Global sports IP revenues hit $174B in 2025
- Two Circles said global sports intellectual-property owners generated a record $174 billion in 2025, with U.S.-based properties accounting for 56% of revenue. - The National Football League led the 2025 ranking at $14.9 billion, ahead of the National Basketball Association at $8.1 billion. - The market has grown 6% annually since 2015 and is projected to top $260 billion by 2033. (twocircles.com)
Global sports intellectual-property owners generated a record $174 billion in 2025, and U.S.-based properties captured 56% of that total. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) (twocircles.com) The new ranking came from Two Circles’ 2026 Sports IP Revenue League, published on April 27, 2026, and it measures “new-to-ecosystem” revenue rather than counting the same money twice across leagues, teams and athletes. (twocircles.com 1) (twocircles.com 2) That means a media-rights check paid to the National Football League is counted at the league level, but not counted again when it is distributed to clubs or players. (twocircles.com) The National Football League topped the 2025 table at $14.9 billion, followed by the National Basketball Association at $8.1 billion and the Hong Kong Jockey Club at $6.4 billion. (cityam.com) The Premier League ranked fourth with $5.3 billion, making it the highest-earning football property in the table, ahead of UEFA in fifth, FIFA in 13th and LaLiga in 14th. (cityam.com) Two Circles said the sports IP market has posted a 6% compound annual growth rate since 2015, almost twice global gross domestic product growth over the same period. (twocircles.com) (cityam.com) The firm’s methodology note says the $174 billion figure uses public 2025 financial data where available and modeled estimates where full-year numbers had not yet been reported. (twocircles.com) Outside the biggest leagues, Two Circles said growth has also come from newer formats and consolidated groups, including TKO Group, Formula 1, the PGA Tour and video-game property EA FC. (cityam.com) (twocircles.com) Broader industry research points in the same direction: Nielsen said global fandom is diversifying, women’s sports audiences are expanding, and older streaming viewers grew 21% in two years. (nielsen.com) PwC’s 2026 North America outlook said teams and leagues are pushing harder into digital fan platforms, subscription-style ticketing and artificial-intelligence tools to turn year-round attention into revenue. (pwc.com) Two Circles now says the market remains on course to exceed $260 billion by 2033, extending the same growth story that pushed sports IP to a fresh record in 2025. (twocircles.com)
