In the͏ world o͏f professional sports, t͏he ͏real ͏power often lies ou͏tside the field or Octagon. A sport will sus͏tain in the m͏arket ͏only o͏f ͏it gene͏rates en͏ough g͏r͏owt͏h and revenue to carry it f͏orw͏a͏rd to th͏e next g͏eneration. Sp͏o͏rt ͏heads like NFL’s R͏oger Goode͏ll and the͏ U͏FC’͏s͏ Dan͏a W͏hite͏ are key players in forging that narra͏t͏ive͏. From securing billion ͏dolla͏r de͏als to͏ navi͏gating their p͏romot͏ion͏ throug͏h ͏controvers͏ies, the͏se tycoons earn ͏a substantial pay͏check that goes well beyond what any of͏ their ͏players make. But is ͏it͏ justifi͏ed?

Recently, the Instagram handle SoccerForever shared a post summarizing the annual salaries of the top five sports executives, revealing staggering figures that are unfathomable for many. At the top of the list is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who takes home a massive $63.7 million per year. Coming in second is UFC head honcho Dana White, earning $20 million annually. Third place is occupied by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, with an annual income of $17.5 million.

Furthermore, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver follows in fourth place, making $10 million a year. In fifth place, is NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, with a salary of $9.5 million. Surprisingly, FIFA President Gianni Infantino rounds out the list, earning $4.67 million annually.

If we look at the actual revenue these sports generated last year, the list would look something like this:

• National Football League (NFL): Approximately $20 billion.
• Major League Baseball (MLB): Approximately $12.1 billion.
• National Basketball Association (NBA): Approximately $11.34 billion.
• National Hockey League (NHL): Approximately $6.8 billion.
• Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC): Approximately $2.7 Billion

From the data, we can see that Roger Goodell took home 0.3185% of the NFL’s total annual revenue. Dana White received 0.74%, while Rob Manfred’s share was 0.1446% of the annual revenue. Adam Silver earned 0.0882%, and Gary Bettman took home 0.1397%.  The percentage numbers may not seem much but the amount an average players in these leagues make is much less than what these hotshots take home and the fans are not having any of it.

Fans rip Roger Goodell as his annual revenue triples Dana White’s earnings

Starting off, a social media user reminded us that, unlike other sports heads, the UFC CEO takes a substantial part of all of the UFC revenue,“Dana also gets 9% of all UFC revenue.”  However, this is a vague take from the user, as he may have considered the 9% stake that White owned before selling it to Endeavor.

Another user called out to the NFL head honcho Roger Goodell for taking in a massive $63.7 million per year paycheck, while an average NFL player’s median salary is roughly around $750,000,  “There is no reason Goodell should be paid that much. I don’t care how much the NFL makes.”

A fan added that Goodell is making more than a star quarterback. “Bruh why is Goodell making more than literally any STAR QB.” However, this assessment is quite inaccurate, considering that most star QBs like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes earn well over $100 million. Furthermore, another social media user was shocked by the pay gap,“63 milli a year is insane.” 

Moreover, a social media user came forward to reveal, “Dana for sure makes more'” Well, is this true? As of 2025, the UFC head honcho is worth approximately $500 million dollars which is 2x Roger Goodell’s networth, so can we say that White has a more dominant position? Maybe. Well, last but not the least, a fan raised a curious question, “Given the revenue of NBA and MLB in comparison to WWE, Dana White is paying himself way too much.”

As the annual earnings of top promoters are revealed to the public, how much of it is accurate, and how much is exaggerated? What are your thoughts? Share your opinions in the comments below.