Survey: Man City The Highest-Paid Team In Global Sports With Average Salary Of $8.1M

Manchester City is the highest-paid team in global sport according to Sportingintelligence’s Global Sports Salaries Survey for '13, compiled in association with ESPN The Magazine and published this week to coincide with The Magazine’s "Money Issue." The average first-team pay at Man City, which has been transformed as a footballing force under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour, has been calculated at £5.2M ($8.1M) per year, or £100,764 ($157,000) per week in the period under review. Man City has climbed from last year’s third place to take the top spot and has surprising newcomers into the top 10 breathing down its necks. The MLB L.A. Dodgers are the second best-paid team in global sports in this review with their stars earning £4.86M ($7.6M) per year (£93,380/$145,600 a week) on average. The Dodgers’ payroll more than doubled year-on-year, seeing them climb 67 places from No. 69 last time to No. 2 this year. Spanish clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have both fallen slightly, although that is also partly down to the weakening of the euro against the dollar and the pound. Barca has dropped three places from No. 1 to No. 4, while Real has dropped a place, from No. 2 to No. 3. The NBA remains the highest-paid league per man, with average annual salaries of £2.72M ($4.2M) a year, or £52,274 ($81,500) per player per week on average (Sportingintelligence).