NFL’s $14.5 Billion Revenue Outpaced NBA, MLB and NHL Combined in 2025
The NFL’s 2025 revenue surpassed the combined revenue of the NBA, MLB and NHL, cementing its financial dominance in U.S. sports.
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NFL logo (Image: Prime Video)
The NFL generated approximately $14.5 billion in gross national revenue during the 2025 season, surpassing the combined central revenue generated by other major leagues like the NBA, MLB and NHL, according to figures reported by Sportico.
The league’s total revenue increased by roughly 5% from the previous season, when the NFL generated $13.8 billion in national revenue. The 2025 figure also meant that each of the NFL’s 32 teams generated more than $450 million in gross revenue.
The revenue figure includes national media rights, league sponsorships, and shared revenue and royalties from league-related entities and affiliates. It represents gross revenue before the league deducts its operating assessment. The NFL’s financial model also provides teams with significant revenue-sharing payments.
The Green Bay Packers, the league’s only publicly owned franchise, reported receiving $432.6 million in national revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. The figure represented a 7.5% increase from the $402.3 million the team received the previous year.
The Packers’ financial report offers a rare look into the league’s shared revenue system because NFL teams are privately owned and are not generally required to publicly disclose their finances. NFL teams also receive money through shared gate receipts.
Under the league’s system, 34% of ticket revenue is placed into a general pool and distributed equally among the 32 teams. That system generated nearly $30 million per team in additional revenue during the 2025 season.
The NFL’s revenue growth was also supported by its strong television audience. The league’s 2025 regular-season games averaged 18.7 million viewers per game, the second-highest average in league history, according to the figures cited in the report. NFL games also averaged 69,055 fans in attendance during the season.
The league’s revenue-sharing system and national media agreements remain central to its financial structure. National revenue is distributed equally among teams, allowing all 32 franchises to benefit from the NFL’s television, sponsorship and league-wide commercial agreements.
NFL’s media rights deals remain a major source of revenue
The NFL’s current media rights agreements remain one of the league’s biggest sources of income. Its broadcast and streaming partners include ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, and Amazon, with other platforms also involved in distributing selected NFL games.
The league has opt-out provisions in its current media agreements. The NFL can opt out of its deals with NBC, CBS, Fox and Amazon after the 2029 season, while its agreement with ESPN includes an opt-out one year later. Commissioner Roger Goodell has previously said the league could begin renegotiating its media agreements before the opt-out period arrives.
The NFL’s current media landscape has continued to evolve as streaming platforms take a larger role in live sports broadcasting. The league has already distributed games through platforms including Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, while other streaming services have also carried selected games.
The league’s international expansion has also continued, with NFL games being played outside the United States as part of its efforts to reach more fans worldwide. Flag football will also make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The NFL’s $14.5 billion gross national revenue for the 2025 season highlights the scale of its commercial operations. The figure exceeded the combined central revenue generated by the NBA, MLB and NHL, while the league’s media agreements, revenue-sharing system and growing international presence continue to shape its business model.
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Rinal Chavda
(146 Articles Published)