Professional athletes are NOT paid too much Many people in today's world complain about how much professional athletes are paid. So I ask: are professional athletes paid too much? Look at it this way; they live their dreams just like most business people do every day. If you think professional sports isn't a job then try walking in the shoes of an athlete for a day. Sports, like medicine, healthcare or software, is a business. In this business, owners pay their players what they think they're worth. Among all the professional leagues, the three that earn the most are: MLB, NFL and NBA. Together, these three leagues bring in an astonishing $25.5 billion each year. Some of the richest franchises in each league are; MLB: Yankees, NFL: Washington Redskins and NBA: Lakers. Major League Baseball brings in about $3.3 billion a year. The leading franchise in baseball is the Yankees who earn $832 million every year. In the National Football League the Washington Redskins make the most of any NFL team with $952 million in earnings each year. In the National Basketball Association, the Lakers earn the most with $510 million. So if every league and franchise2. The highest paid athletes. list of athletesb. how much they earn3. How they get paid. Salaryb. Sponsorship Deals and Memorabilia As long as fans willingly pay $120 dollars for a replica jersey, six bucks a beer and two grand for courtside tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers, owners will continue to pass that money on to their stars. People act like they're tensed up. Let me ask you: When was the last time someone put a gun to your head and said, "Watch this football game or'?