On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including Sportico‘s list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world.

First, however, they talk about the NBA and NHL All-Star breaks. Happening at the same time, the two leagues have taken very different approaches this year. The NBA went more traditional, opting for a standard three-day series of events in San Francisco, including the game and various skills competitions. The NHL, on the other hand, scrapped its game entirely, choosing instead to impose a longer break and play the first 4 Nations Face-Off, a round robin tournament between teams of NHL players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland.

The hosts talk about the growing challenges facing all All-Star Games, and the success that the NHL has had in its new (if temporary) format. Saturday night’s game between the U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and the tournament has drawn rave reviews from fans and participants. The NBA, however, remains stuck in the challenges of a game that lacks motivated stars and a Slam Dunk Contest that now features exclusively non-NBA players and lesser-known role players.

Next they talk about the 100 highest-paid athletes list. Cristiano Ronaldo topped the chart at $260 million earned in 2024, followed by Steph Curry ($153.8 million) and Tyson Fury ($147 million). While there are some mainstays every year, the lists seems to fluctuate more annually now as a result of the billions being spent on sports by Middle Eastern countries. Ronaldo plays in the Saudi soccer league, as does No. 8 Karim Benzema and as did No. 6 Neymar. The two boxers in the top 10—Fury and Oleksandr Usyk—fought in the Middle East in events with large purses. No. 10 is LIV Golf member Jon Rahm, who was second on the list in 2023 thanks to his signing bonus with the Saudi-backed circuit.

They close by talking about a stake in the NFL‘s New York Giants that is now on the market. They discuss the private equity implications, and why estate planning might play a factor.

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