Top Australian Athletes Earnings Lists
From 1997 until 2014, the Australian Business Review Weekly (BRW) magazine published a list of the top-50 highest-earning sports stars in Australia. The list was published in December each year. BRW was the leading business magazine examining the trends and opportunities shaping Australian business, but in 2013 the weekly magazine ceased to be published, though a website version continued. Since 2017, a similar list was published by the Australian Financial Review, with golfer Jason Day at the top. In the years 2014-2016, there has been some information about Australia's top sporting earners, and this has been included too.
The lists of highest-earning sport stars in Australia are compiled by journalists and the earnings are based on the estimated gross earnings including prize money, endorsements, sponsorships, appearance fees and other income from sport-related business. The earnings were based on the calendar year. Here are the top-10 earners for each year, with the full list (where available if you follow the year link)
Top Australian Sports Earners for each year
Here are the annual list leaders for each list since the first in 1997, and links to a list of the top-10 for each year. Traditionally the lists have been dominated by golf and soccer stars, but this changed to motorsports athletes dominating the lists and US-based basketballer Andrew Bogut top of the list from 2011 till 2015.
| Year | Name | Sport | Earnings ($AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Daniel Ricciardo | Formula 1 | $44 m |
| 2019 | Daniel Ricciardo | Formula 1 | $29.1 m |
| 2018 | Andrew Bogut | Basketball | $81 m |
| 2017 | Jason Day | Golf | $18.29 m |
| 2016 | Jason Day? | Golf | $23.6 m |
| 2015 | Andrew Bogut? | Basketball | $16.6 m |
| 2014 | Andrew Bogut | Basketball | $16.2 m |
| 2013 | Andrew Bogut | Basketball | $16.04 m |
| 2012 | Andrew Bogut | Basketball | $13.5 m |
| 2011 | Andrew Bogut | Basketball | $13.0 m |
| 2010 | Mark Webber | Motorsport | $13.4 m |
| 2009 | Greg Norman | Golf | $15.0 m |
| 2008 | Greg Norman | Golf | $20.9 m |
| 2007 | Greg Norman | Golf | $20.0 m |
| 2006 | Greg Norman | Golf | $20.0 m |
| 2005 | Greg Norman | Golf | $15.0 m |
| 2004 | Greg Norman | Golf | $18.0 m |
| 2003 | Greg Norman | Golf | $20.3 m |
| 2002 | Greg Norman | Golf | $24.6 m |
| 2001 | Greg Norman | Golf | $48.255 m |
| 2000 | Greg Norman | Golf | $47.8 m |
| 1999 | Greg Norman | Golf | $40.2 m |
| 1998 | Greg Norman | Golf | $37.3 m |
| 1997 | Greg Norman | Golf | $29.32 m |
| 1996 | |||
| 1995 | |||
| 1994 | |||
| 1993 | Greg Norman | golf | $25.3 million |
The sources of this information has changed over time. The Australian Business Review Weekly (BRW) published lists from 1997 until 2014. In 2015 and 2016 the information is from other sources, and from 2017 onwards, the list has been published by the Australian Financial Review, which had taken over BRW. Since 2020, it appears that the list os no longer published at all.
Compare these lists to the international annual top earners list published by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Forbes Magazine
Related Pages
- Other sporting lists
- More about the World of Sport
- Sport in Australia
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