Comparison hub · 24 head-to-heads
Compare take-home pay between leagues
The same contract does not pay the same everywhere. 24 head-to-head comparisons show what an identical deal keeps in each league's best, middle and worst market — after tax, agent commission and escrow.
Every comparison
| Match-up | At | First league | Second league | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA vs NFL | $10M | $4.06M | $5.19M | $1.13M |
| NBA vs MLB | $10M | $4.06M | $4.92M | $855K |
| NBA vs NHL | $10M | $4.06M | $4.7M | $635K |
| NFL vs MLB | $10M | $5.19M | $4.92M | $270K |
| NFL vs NHL | $10M | $5.19M | $4.7M | $490K |
| MLB vs NHL | $10M | $4.92M | $4.7M | $220K |
| NBA vs NCAA | $500K | $248K | $233K | $15K |
| NFL vs NCAA | $500K | $304K | $233K | $71K |
| Premier League vs La Liga | $10M | $4.8M | $4.8M | $0 |
| Premier League vs Bundesliga | $10M | $4.8M | $4.75M | $48K |
| Premier League vs Serie A | $10M | $4.8M | $4.85M | $50K |
| Premier League vs Ligue 1 | $10M | $4.8M | $4.03M | $770K |
| La Liga vs Serie A | $10M | $4.8M | $4.85M | $50K |
| Bundesliga vs Serie A | $10M | $4.75M | $4.85M | $98K |
| NBA vs Premier League | $10M | $4.06M | $4.8M | $735K |
| NFL vs Premier League | $10M | $5.19M | $4.8M | $390K |
| MLB vs Premier League | $10M | $4.92M | $4.8M | $120K |
| NHL vs Premier League | $10M | $4.7M | $4.8M | $100K |
| NBA vs Saudi Pro League | $10M | $4.06M | $9.5M | $5.44M |
| Premier League vs Saudi Pro League | $10M | $4.8M | $9.5M | $4.7M |
| La Liga vs Saudi Pro League | $10M | $4.8M | $9.5M | $4.7M |
| IPL vs Premier League | $2.5M | $1.16M | $1.2M | $43K |
| IPL vs NBA | $2.5M | $1.16M | $1.05M | $103K |
| IPL vs Saudi Pro League | $2.5M | $1.16M | $2.38M | $1.22M |
Each row compares mid-market clubs at the smaller of the two leagues' typical contract sizes. Open a page for the full six-market breakdown.
What drives the gap
Three things, in order of size: where the clubs play (state or national tax), how much the league withholds in escrow, and what it caps agent commission at. The first usually dwarfs the other two, which is why the spread inside a single league is often wider than the gap between two leagues.