Sports bettors feel elated when they win their wagers and their teams come in. That is for good reason. Instantly, their bankrolls bulge a little more and feelings of team-pride swell.
But as good as it may feel to see a rise in your 888sport account, proceeds shipped to even the highest rolling gamblers pale alongside what gets taken down by the winning teams.
Professional athletes play hard for more than cheers from the crowd. They also seek the financial benefits of winning the Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, and NBA Championship.
Here is a look at the people who really make out when touchdowns, homeruns, shots on goal, and three pointers fall in their favour.
OUT OF THE PARK WINDFALLS
When the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 Major League Baseball World Series, the team was not only the baseball champion, but it was also the game’s cash-generating champion.
The Dodgers took down a total of $46.47 million from a record-setting bonus pool of $129.1 million. That money derived from 60 percent of gate revenue from select post-season games. The money created a giant pool of dollars.
Fittingly, the Series winner was rewarded the largest cut (36 percent), the loser in the Series received 24 percent, League Championship losers got 12 percent, Division Series losers reaped 3.3 percent, wild-card Series losers ended up with .8 percent.
That said, don’t feel bad for even the .8 percenters. Considering the size of the bonus pool, there was plenty to go around.
WINNING MONEY IS THE GOAL
The National Hockey League has a pre-determined playoff bonus pool. In 2025, it totaled some $24 million.
As teams worked their way through the playoffs, they received pieces of the pool. The largest chunk went to the winner of the Stanley Cup.
This year, it was the Florida Panthers. As a team, the Panthers took down $6,539,375.
Knocked out in six games, the Edmonton Oilers made due with a runner-up prize of $3,781,250. Each of the Panthers received around $284,000 according to thehockeywriters.com.
Not exactly cheap skaters, the outplayed Oilers each earned a share of nearly $4 million.
BIG BUCKS ARE A SLAM DUNK FOR NBA CHAMPIONS
Ace the NBA championship and you get more than just accolades. This past season, the NBA had a Player Playoff Pool of $34.7 million.
Coming from ticket sales, it is designed to give players extra reason to play hard and make it to the finals. As is appropriate, the more wins a team has in the regular season and the deeper it goes in the post season, the bigger its cut of the pool.
In the case of players on the Oklahoma City Thunder, which took down the NBA championship in 2025, they each received their share of $12.4 million awarded to the team. The sum breaks down to $828,000 per player.
If you think that sounds like a lot of money, you are probably not alone. The high-flying NBA ranks at the top when it comes to championship payoffs per player.
TOUCHDOWNS FOR DOLLARS
Win the Super Bowl and you get a big parade along with a fancy ring. But those things are overshadowed by the financial boost that comes with emerging victorious at the most watched sporting event in America.
A collective bargaining agreement negotiated for NFL players stipulates what each player receives after the regular season ends.
Players on the winning Philadelphia Eagles received a bonus of $171,000 per player.
Those on the also-ran Kansas City Chiefs snagged a pretty good $96,000. Setting a record for NFL Super Bowl payouts, the winners and losers this year each received a $7,000 bump over what was paid in 2024.
Any way you look at it, that qualifies as a financial touchdown.
