The modern-day world has enabled even the highest-paid athletes to make more money online than from their sport.
The emergence of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube – and yes, even some of the spicier ones – has taken earning power to the next level.
Some athletes turned sponsorships into full media empires. Others built their wealth through YouTube, podcasts, or direct-to-consumer products.
Here are seven athletes who make more money online than in their sports.
Travis Kelce
The New Heights podcast remains the engine, pulling millions of viewers every week and generating ad revenue that rivals his NFL salary. A 2024 deal with Amazon is reportedly worth $100m.
Kelce also earns heavily through brand partnerships. His deals with Pfizer, Experian, and Accelerator Active Energy run across TV and digital platforms, placing him in front of audiences who don’t watch football at all.
His online fashion store pushes limited-run drops, and his relationship with luxury brands has grown thanks to social media exposure.
The combination of podcasting, sponsorships, and fashion has made Kelce one of the best examples of an athlete who earns more online than through his sport.
Livvy Dunne
Dunne’s NIL valuation sits around $3.5 million, placing her at the top of the NCAA and making her one of the highest-earning female athletes in American college sports.
As gymnastics brings in no salary for NCAA athletes, every dollar Dunne earns comes from her online platforms and the brands that want access to her.
Her partnerships with Vuori, American Eagle, Motorola, and BodyArmor rely almost entirely on her reach across TikTok and Instagram, where she has more than 15 million combined followers.
LUS attendance jumped during her rise, with fans travelling simply to watch one of the biggest college creators in the country. Dunne has said repeatedly that she treats her online presence as carefully as her training.
Logan Paul
Logan Paul’s online empire makes his WWE contract look like a side gig. His biggest asset is PRIME Hydration, the drink brand he co-owns and promotes almost entirely through social media.
PRIME exploded through YouTube and TikTok. The company passed major global sales milestones within its first year, and Paul’s online reach remains the driving force.
His YouTube channel still generates huge traffic, IMPAULSIVE pulls consistent sponsorship revenue, and his merch drops sell out through creator-led hype.
WWE gives him mainstream spotlight, but his digital businesses generate far more money than his in-ring appearances.
Jake Paul
Jake Paul made his first million long before he ever put on boxing gloves. The ‘Problem Child’ and his brother are the prime example of athletes who can make more money online.
His YouTube empire, built on vlogs and high-volume engagement, turned him into one of the world’s most successful while he was still a teenager.
Now, his pay-per-view numbers rise or fall based on digital hype, creator crossovers, and the enormous reach he built during his YouTube peak.
Even with a money-spinning brawl with Anthony Joshua looming, the bulk of his earnings flow through YouTube ads, sponsorships, creator-led marketing, and his digital-first promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions.
MVP leans heavily on viral callouts, influencer matchmaking and content-driven fight build ups.
Paige Spiranac
Paige Spiranac built one of sport’s biggest online audiences after a brief stint in professional golf. Her competitive career never brought major prize money, but her digital footprint did.
Her Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube channels drive most of her revenue, supported by high-value partnerships across sportswear, betting, fitness, and lifestyle.
She also runs a subscription platform, OnlyPaige, which delivers direct-to-consumer income and sits at the centre of her business model.
Spiranac’s online presence regularly outperforms entire golf broadcasts, giving brands reach they can’t get elsewhere. That audience has made her one of the most recognisable faces in golf despite no longer playing professionally.
Sha’Carri Richardson
Sha’Carri Richardson’s income comes from sponsorships, not prize money. Track athletes earn modest purses even at major meets, but her commercial pull is huge.
Nike remains her biggest deal, supported by partnerships with Beats, Sprite, and several global brands that rely on her visibility and cultural reach.
Those campaigns lean heavily on her social following, where every post generates more engagement than entire track broadcasts.
Richardson has said she wants her platform to “speak to young girls who look like me,” and that connection drives much of her commercial value.
Pat McAfee
Although Pat McAfee isn’t an active NFL player, he is a prime example of how sport can be a launching paid to make millions with your presence.
His YouTube show, clips, and daily live broadcasts built an audience big enough to attract an ESPN deal worth more than $80m.
McAfee grew his platform through YouTube and social media by leaning into personality-driven content, interviews, and live reactions that traditional sports networks never offered.
McAfee made around $15m across eight seasons as a punter, but his digital earnings have dwarfed that figure for years.
“I get to do what I love every day,” he has told fans, describing his show as the best job he’s ever had.
