Professional athletes earn much of their income from playing, but in the modern world, sports stars often enjoy other revenue streams. For instance, rugby players might earn additional income from public appearances, brand endorsements, or punditry.
However, for certain sportspeople, social media is an increasingly important source of income. Brands are willing to pay celebrities and famous athletes to make posts online promoting products and services. Those with a large following can command a surprising amount for a single post.
Here are three international sports stars earning millions from social media.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $3,432,000 per post
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the most decorated football players in history. He has countless titles and is the leading international male goalscorer. This incredibly successful football career has made Ronaldo a billionaire, but not all of this wealth came from his salary as a player.
The 2024 Instagram Rich List from Hopper HQ gives the most recent estimates about how much sports stars could be paid for their communications on the social media platform.
The findings show that Cristiano Ronaldo could earn $3,432,000 from a single post.
This makes him the overall highest earner from Instagram, beating worldwide celebrities including Dwayne Johnson and Beyoncé.
2. Lionel Messi – $2,731,000 per post
Lionel Messi is another legendary name in football who makes an incredible amount of money from his social media activity.
With an estimated average earning of $2,731,000 per post, Messi comes a close second behind Ronaldo on the Instagram Rich List, making him more profitable than many famous musicians or actors.
3. Virat Kohli – $1,464,000 per post
It is not only professional footballers who are able to earn large amounts from their social media posts. Virat Kohli, often called the Michael Jordan of cricket, also makes more than a million dollars for a single Instagram post.
He made his name in cricket, establishing himself as one of the most successful batsmen in the world. However, he has since become a global celebrity and secured lucrative brand deals with companies such as Nike, Puma, and Audi.
Earnings from brand endorsements could present financial planning challenges for rugby players
As a professional rugby player, you may not earn as much as top football players such as Ronaldo or Messi for your social media posts. That said, you could still secure some lucrative brand deals.
For instance, according to Campus Cybercafe, Siya Kolisi of South Africa earns between 4 million and 10 million rand a year from endorsements. This is approximately £170,000 to £430,000.
The additional earnings from social media and brand deals could mean you enjoy a better quality of life now and may be able to save more for the future. Despite these advantages, your earnings off the pitch could create certain financial planning challenges.
You may need to consider:
- How your earnings are treated from a tax perspective
- Whether additional income could push you into a higher tax bracket
- Where to save or invest your wealth
- Whether you should increase pension contributions.
Answering these questions could help you utilise additional wealth and improve your chances of meeting important financial aims. But if you misunderstand the tax implications of extra earnings, or do not know how best to save or invest for the future, you could miss valuable opportunities to build wealth.
We can support you by discussing your priorities and giving guidance about the most suitable ways to use additional wealth.
Get in touch
If you need advice about managing and using your income, please do get in touch with DBL Asset Management.
Email enquiries@dbl-am.com or call 01625 529 499 to speak to us today.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.
Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.
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