Salary for professional lacrosse player. Professional Lacrosse Player Salaries: Balancing Passion and Financial Reality

How much do professional lacrosse players earn in Major League Lacrosse. What are the salary ranges for MLL players. How do professional lacrosse players manage their careers alongside full-time jobs. What challenges do MLL players face in balancing their passion for the sport with financial necessities.

The Financial Landscape of Professional Lacrosse

Professional lacrosse players in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) face a unique financial situation that sets them apart from athletes in more mainstream sports. The salary range for MLL players typically falls between $10,000 and $25,000 per season, which runs from late April to August. This relatively modest compensation means that most players must maintain full-time jobs outside of their lacrosse careers to make ends meet.

Players like Mike Manley of the Dallas Rattlers and Kylor Bellistri of the Denver Outlaws exemplify this reality. Manley works as a New York State Trooper, while Bellistri is an underwriter for an international insurance company. These careers provide the financial stability that their lacrosse salaries alone cannot offer.

Salary Breakdown in Major League Lacrosse

• Minimum salary: Approximately $10,000 per season
• Maximum salary: Around $25,000 per season
• Season duration: Late April to August (roughly 4 months)

Why do players continue in the league despite the low pay? The answer lies in their passion for the sport. As Manley puts it, “We play the game because we love it. We play lacrosse because we have a passion for the game.” This dedication to lacrosse drives players to find creative ways to balance their professional careers with their athletic pursuits.

The Dual Career Juggling Act

How do MLL players manage to balance their lacrosse careers with full-time jobs? It requires careful planning, dedication, and often significant sacrifices. Many players find themselves working in fields such as education, finance, and law enforcement during the week, then traveling across the country for games on weekends.

This dual career approach creates a unique weekly routine for MLL players:

1. Monday to Friday: Work at their full-time jobs
2. Friday evening: Travel to the game location
3. Friday night: Late practice with the team
4. Saturday: Game day
5. Sunday: Return home, often arriving in the evening

Bellistri describes this routine as “a grind,” noting that there isn’t much downtime between work, travel, and lacrosse commitments. However, the players’ love for the game keeps them motivated to maintain this demanding schedule.

Geographical Challenges and Team Dynamics

One of the unique aspects of MLL is that most players don’t live in the same city as their team. This geographical dispersion adds another layer of complexity to their already challenging schedules. How do teams maintain cohesion when players are scattered across the country?

Teams typically gather on Friday evenings for practice in the city where they’ll play on Saturday. This means that players must be adept at quickly reconnecting with teammates and getting into game mode after a week apart. The shared experience of balancing careers and lacrosse often creates a strong bond among players, fostering team unity despite the limited time together.

Impact of Team Relocations

Team relocations can further complicate players’ lives. Mike Manley experienced this firsthand when the Rochester Rattlers moved to Dallas. Despite offers to play closer to home, Manley chose to stay with his team, demonstrating the strong camaraderie among players. This decision meant increased travel time and more challenging scheduling, but Manley’s commitment to his teammates prevailed.

The Role of Supportive Employers

How crucial is employer support for MLL players? It can make a significant difference in a player’s ability to continue their lacrosse career. Many players, like Manley, rely on understanding bosses who allow for flexible scheduling and shift swaps to accommodate game days.

Employers who value their employees’ passions and extracurricular achievements often find ways to support MLL players. This might include:

• Flexible work hours
• Remote work options
• Understanding of occasional absences
• Recognition of the positive attributes athletes bring to the workplace

Without this support, many players would find it nearly impossible to continue their professional lacrosse careers alongside full-time employment.

The Sacrifice of Personal Time

What do MLL players give up to pursue their lacrosse careers? The demanding schedule often means sacrificing personal time and social activities. Weekends, typically a time for relaxation or leisure for most people, are packed with travel and games for these athletes.

Players like Bellistri and Manley often use their vacation days to participate in playoffs and championship games. This dedication shows the extent to which these athletes prioritize their sport over other aspects of their lives.

Strategies for Managing Limited Personal Time

• Efficient time management during the week
• Combining social activities with team events
• Utilizing travel time for personal tasks or relaxation
• Maintaining close relationships with others who understand the demands of the sport

Many players find creative ways to maximize their limited free time, ensuring they can maintain a semblance of work-life balance despite their hectic schedules.

The Future of Professional Lacrosse Salaries

Can MLL players expect to see an increase in salaries in the coming years? The future of professional lacrosse salaries depends on several factors:

1. Growth in popularity of the sport
2. Increased media coverage and broadcast deals
3. Expansion of corporate sponsorships
4. Development of a stronger fan base
5. Potential mergers or collaborations with other lacrosse leagues

As the sport continues to gain traction, particularly at the youth and collegiate levels, there’s hope that professional salaries will eventually rise to a level that allows players to focus solely on their lacrosse careers.

Comparing MLL Salaries to Other Professional Sports

How do MLL salaries stack up against other professional sports leagues? The contrast is stark when comparing lacrosse to more established sports:

• NFL (National Football League): Minimum salary of $660,000 (2021 season)
• NBA (National Basketball Association): Minimum salary of $925,258 (2021-2022 season)
• MLB (Major League Baseball): Minimum salary of $570,500 (2021 season)
• NHL (National Hockey League): Minimum salary of $700,000 (2021-2022 season)
• MLS (Major League Soccer): Minimum salary of $63,547 (2021 season)

These comparisons highlight the financial challenges faced by professional lacrosse players and underscore the need for continued growth and investment in the sport to improve player compensation.

The Passion Economy of Professional Lacrosse

Why do players continue to pursue careers in MLL despite the financial challenges? The answer lies in what can be called the “passion economy” of professional lacrosse. Players are driven by their love for the sport, the thrill of competition, and the sense of community within the lacrosse world.

This passion-driven approach to professional sports has both advantages and drawbacks:

Advantages of the Passion Economy in Lacrosse

• High level of player dedication and commitment
• Strong sense of community among players and fans
• Authentic love for the game that resonates with supporters
• Development of well-rounded individuals with diverse career experiences

Drawbacks of the Passion Economy in Lacrosse

• Financial instability for players
• Difficulty in attracting and retaining top talent
• Limited resources for league growth and marketing
• Potential burnout from balancing multiple careers

As the sport continues to evolve, finding a balance between passion and financial sustainability will be crucial for the long-term success of professional lacrosse.

The Impact of Low Salaries on Player Longevity

How do the financial realities of MLL affect players’ career longevity? The low salaries and demanding schedules can lead to shorter professional careers for many players. As they progress in their non-lacrosse careers or start families, the sacrifices required to continue playing professionally may become unsustainable.

Factors influencing player longevity in MLL include:

• Career advancement opportunities outside of lacrosse
• Family commitments and responsibilities
• Physical toll of balancing multiple careers
• Financial considerations and long-term stability

Some players may choose to retire from professional play earlier than they would if lacrosse provided a sustainable full-time income. This turnover can impact team dynamics and the overall quality of play in the league.

Strategies for Financial Success as an MLL Player

What strategies can MLL players employ to maximize their financial success while pursuing their passion? While the salaries in professional lacrosse may be limited, players can take steps to build a stable financial foundation:

1. Develop a marketable skill set outside of lacrosse
2. Network within the lacrosse community for career opportunities
3. Pursue coaching or training roles to supplement income
4. Explore sponsorship and endorsement opportunities
5. Manage finances carefully, including budgeting and investing
6. Consider entrepreneurial ventures related to lacrosse

By diversifying their income streams and leveraging their status as professional athletes, MLL players can work towards greater financial stability while continuing to play the sport they love.

The Role of Fan Support in Professional Lacrosse

How can increased fan support impact the financial landscape of professional lacrosse? Fan engagement is crucial for the growth of any sport, and lacrosse is no exception. As the fan base expands, it can lead to:

• Increased ticket sales and game attendance
• Greater interest from sponsors and advertisers
• More lucrative media deals
• Higher merchandise sales
• Improved visibility for the sport

All of these factors contribute to the overall financial health of the league, which could eventually translate into better compensation for players. Fans can support the growth of professional lacrosse by attending games, following teams on social media, purchasing merchandise, and introducing the sport to others.

The Potential for Growth in Professional Lacrosse

What does the future hold for professional lacrosse and player salaries? While current salaries in MLL are modest, there are signs of potential growth in the sport:

• Increasing popularity at youth and collegiate levels
• Expansion of lacrosse programs in schools and universities
• Growing international interest in the sport
• Advancements in media coverage and streaming options
• Potential for league mergers or new professional leagues

As the sport continues to grow, there’s hope that professional lacrosse will eventually provide more lucrative career opportunities for players. However, this growth will require continued dedication from players, fans, and league officials to build a sustainable and financially viable professional lacrosse ecosystem.

In conclusion, while the current financial reality for professional lacrosse players in MLL presents significant challenges, the passion and dedication of these athletes continue to drive the sport forward. As the lacrosse community works together to grow the game, there’s hope that future generations of players may be able to pursue their love of lacrosse as a full-time, financially sustainable career.

Professional lacrosse players’ salaries are as low as $10,000: how they make ends meet | Sports

It’s Friday afternoon and like most people, Mike Manley and Kylor Bellistri are looking forward to a weekend away from the office, a chance to blow off a little steam after a long workweek.

But unlike many of their friends, Manley and Bellistri won’t be going to the beach or the mountains. They have second jobs that require weekend work.

Both are professional lacrosse players. 

Manley is a defender for the Dallas Rattlers and Bellistri is a forward for the Denver Outlaws. And both men are in Charleston this weekend for Major League Lacrosse’s championship game at MUSC Health Stadium.

Like most players in the MLL, Manley and Bellistri hold down full-time jobs outside of lacrosse. The league is packed with full-time teachers and coaches, and like Bellistri, guys who work in the financial sector. Players in the league generally make between $10,000 and $25,000 a season, which stretches from late April to August.

Denver Outlaws forward Kylor Bellistri, who lives in New York City, will be playing in the Major League Lacrosse championship game Saturday night in Charleston. Photo provided

“You can’t live on the salaries you make in the MLL, so just about everyone has another job,” Manley said. “We play the game because we love it. We play lacrosse because we have a passion for the game.”

Manley is a newly commissioned New York State Trooper. Bellistri is an underwriter for Chubb Limited, an international insurance company.

On most Fridays from April to August, you can find Manley, who lives in Rochester, N.Y., and Bellistri, who lives in New York City, heading to an airport for a cross-country flight and a late night practice.

The majority of the players in the MLL live outside of their teams’ markets. During the week, they live and work in their hometowns scattered across the country, finally gathering together on Friday for practice in whatever city they are playing in on Saturday night.

“That’s kind of the routine,” Bellistri said. “You find a way to make it work because you still love playing the game. It’s a grind. There are weekends when I fly out of New York City on Friday, have a 10 p.m. practice in Denver, then a game on Saturday night. You fly back on Sunday, get home in the early evening, and then do it again the next week. There isn’t a lot of downtime.”

This weekend’s game is the eighth championship appearance for the Outlaws since joining the MLL in 2006. Denver has played in the title game in three of the last four years, winning the championship in 2014 and 2016. The Rattlers won a title in 2008 and made the finals in 2014 and 2015.

Manley, 30, thought he had an ideal situation when the Rattlers were based in Rochester, N. Y. The 2016 MLL co-defensive player of the year had just been sworn in as state trooper and was able to live, work and play in the Rochester area. His older brother Jonathan, a state trooper as well, had encouraged Mike to join the force. 

“It was a great situation, I lived in Rochester and I was able to play locally, too,” Manley said.

But after the 2017 season, the Rattlers pulled up stakes and moved the franchise to Dallas. As one of the top defenders in the league, Manley, a six-year veteran, had offers to stay closer to home and continue to play.

“Most of the guys on the team wanted to play in Dallas,” said the former All-American at Duke. “We have almost the same team as we’ve had since I’ve been here. The same core group of guys. Everyone was committed to going down to Dallas. We’ve got guys from Boston and New York who could have played in their home markets, but they all committed to play in Dallas. I figured if they could do it, so could I.”

The travel has been tough and because of his schedule with the state troopers, he’s missed about half the games.

“I’ve been able to switch a couple of shifts and my boss has been really supportive,” Manley said. “Still, I’ve missed some games, but that’s the sacrifice you have to make and luckily the coaches and my teammates have understood.”

Bellistri and Manley each planned their vacations around the league’s two-week playoffs.

“I was just fortunate we were able to make the playoffs and get into the championship game,” Manley said.

Bellistri also has to juggle his schedule to make things work. It helps that his roommate in midtown Manhattan is Jack Kelly, the Outlaws’ goalie.

“We’ve got similar schedules and we understand the stress that each other are going through,” Bellistri said. “We both have a passion for the game.”

Saturday’s championship game begins at 7 p.m. For more information or tickets, go to majorleaguelacrosse.com.

How Much Do Pro Lacrosse Players Make? (This Much!)

You’d think that professional sports players get paid big bucks when bringing their talent to a particular team. That’s certainly true for certain sports such as basketball, baseball, and football. Professional players such as David Beckham, Michael Jordan, and the late Kobe Bryant have all managed to bring home millions per year because of their talent.

Unfortunately, this is not true for all sports. Lacrosse for example doesn’t command the high salary that often comes with the more popular sports. Does this mean that professional lacrosse players are struggling financially? Well, that depends on who you ask. 

The Popularity of the Lacrosse Game

There are currently 825,000 lacrosse players scattered around the United States. While still not a household name like basketball or baseball – there’s no question that this sport is quickly growing with 4 million fans following every game.

Note though that lacrosse isn’t just a US-based game. There’s actually an international federation for it which is the Federation of International Lacrosse. Players who want to reach the peak of this sport all aspire to be part of the team that goes to the World Lacrosse Championships. Other countries that participate in the game include Australia, England, and Canada.

Now, there are three leagues that hire lacrosse players professionally. There’s the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL) – both of which are based in the United States. Finally, there’s the PLL or the Premier Lacrosse League which is a fairly new addition to the group. A separate league called the United Women’s Lacrosse League (UWL) is also present. 

How Do Lacrosse Players Generate Income?

The primary source of income for professional lacrosse players is being part of the league. Notably however, women lacrosse players do not get paid – even if they’re part of the league. The primary benefit for them is the stipend and the ability to travel to different states and countries to join competitions.

Of course, popular lacrosse players also have the advantage of signing up with certain sports brands to generate additional income. In the same way the Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan signed up to market certain shoe brands – lacrosse players can also accept deals and be the face for sports products. Note however that this only happens for the really good players or those who have managed to establish a legacy in the sports. 

What’s the Average Income for a Pro Lacrosse Player?

The average income of professional lacrosse players is surprising if you know how much the average basketball player gets as income. If the player is part of the Major League, his starting salary starts at 7000USD. Per season, the average income can be anywhere from $10,000 to 35,000. Those playing under the National League have a slightly better rate at 9000USD for their starting pay. 

Players under PLL are a bit luckier as they own equity in the league. This means that they are actually part-owners of the league. As players, they earn a minimum of $25,000 per season. Of the three, it seems that being a PLL member is more financially advantageous considering how 25,000USD is their starting salary.

As previously mentioned, women lacrosse players do not get any salary. However, since the league was started in 2016, there’s a strong chance that female players of the game will slowly get the recognition they deserve.

Note that the amounts cited here are separate from the care and health benefits received by players as part of their package. As professional athletes, it makes perfect sense to hire good doctors or physical therapists to ensure that players are in their peak performance.

So how do professional lacrosse players fare? The truth is that there’s an ongoing discussion for the increase of salary for members of the league. Right now – some players have been quite upfront in that they are engaging in side jobs to sustain the lifestyle. Aside from playing in the league, many players also have jobs related to the sport – therefore allowing them to stay in close contact with the people involved and continue their training.

Another important thing to note is that, as it stands, lacrosse players do not earn more as they become experienced in the game, but this could end soon. The typical lacrosse player only spends 10 to 15 years in the sports before choosing to retire.

Who’s Most Highly Paid Lacrosse Player?

Paul Rabil is to Lacrosse what David Beckham is to football or soccer. At a young age, he managed to capture the attention of the fans and therefore commands a high price when bringing his skills to any team. As of this writing, Paul Rabil is 33 years old and is earning 1.5million USD per season for professional lacrosse.

In contrast, a professional basketball player earns around 7million USD as part of the league. Hence, professional lacrosse players really got the short end of the stick in this deal – but there’s a strong indication that the popularity – and therefore the salary – of the sports will grow over the years.

Aside from his basic salary as a player, Rabil has also gotten sponsorships from big brands like Nike and New Balance – which substantially add to his net worth. Taken independently of other professional sports players, Rabil’s salary already makes him a successful athlete.

Final Word – Playing Lacrosse Professionally

So does this mean that lacrosse is a bad sport for professional players? Not really. Lacrosse is a growing sport; it’s just starting to really get a firm grip on the masses. In a few more years, professional lacrosse players will start to enjoy the same yearly salary as professional basketball players.

The beauty of being part of lacrosse now is that you can get a foothold on this rising star so that once the sports becomes bigger, you are already a known name in the game.

Of course, let’s not forget the fact that most players of lacrosse join the game for the simple love of the sport. As with many organized games, lacrosse promotes camaraderie, quick thinking, discipline, and team play in its participants. Even when not playing professionally, all these benefits can be had by enthusiastic players.

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Almost all clubs in this league are profitable. There are no secrets, anyone can repeat – Fever Pitch – Blogs

If you work digitally correctly, you can find a solvent audience even for a non-top sport – such as lacrosse.

Lacrosse goes with his video to Twitter, Facebook and Bleacher Report. And wins

At the heart of the ecosystem that the NLL has built is the National Lacrosse League, NLL TV’s own streaming service. There is a paid subscription and a loyal price: 34.9$5 for the entire 2018 season, $24.95 for all games on one team, and $7.95 for a specific match. However, for the sake of coverage and a new audience, the league gives top matches to free access without any problems: in March 2017, it signed a contract with Twitter, in the US and Canada, users could watch the main game of the week for free.

Broadcasts on average collected 344 thousand views, and in parallel, thanks to this promotion, the number of paid service subscribers who were missing one match a week also increased significantly. The audience of NLL TV has grown to 25,000 people. In addition, interest in attending matches has also risen: on average, in the 2017 season, 7.5 thousand fans went to lacrosse, and season tickets for the 2018 championship (began on December 8, 2017, ended in June 2018) sold 21% more than the previous one.

At the beginning of 2018, NLL came with its weekly ReLax show on Facebook Watch, a standard conversational program for any sport with discussion of the best moments of matches, insiders and expert opinion. Due to the new video service from Facebook, she received additional coverage and added interactivity.

Four months later, in April, NLL also announced a partnership with Bleacher Report Live, a streaming service that launched on the same day. Until June, just in time for the lacrosse season, everything in BR Live was free. For example, a Forbes writer suggested that NLL could benefit the most from such a partnership with Bleacher Report. The flagship products of the service are NBA videos, Champions League football highlights, NCAA and other more popular projects. Due to them, BR Live was promoted at the start, their already impressive coverage is unlikely to have grown much due to the new project, but for the Lacrosse League this was probably much more important..

Lacrosse is not deliberately at war with the NBA and NFL. The league is looking elsewhere

The National Lacrosse League was founded just 32 years ago. League commissioner Nick Sakievich understood that he did not have access to television contracts of the NBA or NFL level, so it’s better not to waste time on a senseless war and follow the audience immediately into the digital environment. The League understands that its target is predominantly people under 35, so a strategic sharp turn towards Internet projects instead of television is even more logical.

Lacrosse is a highly spectator sport where teams play ten on ten and try to put a small rubber ball into the goal with a stick. It is held with the handle down, and at the upper end – in place of the hockey hook – a net is fixed according to the net principle: the players catch the ball with it, wield it in this way and also throw it at the goal.

NLL territory – USA and Canada, lacrosse as a sport is really popular only there, in other countries its development lags far behind. There are only nine teams in the League, divided into two divisions, each playing 18 games of the regular season, and the title is played in the playoffs from a series of up to two wins.

Most stadiums hosting games are NHL or NBA arenas, such as the Air Canada Center in Toronto, home of the Hockey World Cup and the Raptors vs the Maple Leafs, or home of the Denver Nuggets vs Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center in Colorado. Despite access to the best sites and their decent occupancy, NLL quite rightly thinks about building up an online audience.

Nick Sakievich became the League commissioner in January 2016. He and his team developed a plan based on five main principles: expansion, digital marketing, commerce, assistance in the development of each club and penetration into small cities, capturing niche audiences. For two and a half years, NLL has achieved notable success and has become a worthy benchmark for such organizations.

Lacrosse skillfully targets his work. Both with partners and with the audience

The Lacrosse League is planning a massive geotargeting experiment. Already, the broadcasts of specific matches are being additionally announced for those cities whose teams are playing. In parallel, live events are being promoted for residents of cities where NLL teams will appear next season (Philadelphia, San Diego) and territories where expansion is planned for the coming years (Dallas, Chicago, New York, Washington).

The search for new franchisees NLL builds through the involvement of reliable, even eminent partners. For example, the club in San Diego will be owned by Alibaba Group co-founder Joe Tsai, who also bought the Brooklyn Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov. And the Philadelphia project will be led by Comcast Spectacor, Ed Snyder’s company that already runs the Sixers and Flyers.

– These are “blue chips”, five-star examples – choose the characteristics of our new partners to your taste, – NLL commissioner Nick Sakievich said in an interview immediately after the presentation of the Philadelphia project. – It’s good that our league has been around for 30 years. It’s bad that for a long time we hardly tried to find our own niche in a very competitive field. We spent a year and a half planning strategically important steps, and now really key projects are being launched.

Obviously, the league sees more prospects in the US market. Now it has five teams from the USA and four from Canada. The most visited (Saskatchewan, 14,619 viewers on average) and the least popular (Vancouver, 3484 viewers) are Canadian, with more than 10 thousand usually collected in Colorado, Buffalo and Calgary, Toronto is also close to this indicator.

– The strength of our league is that we are not dependent on the lacrosse community alone. 60% of the spectators who come to our matches are not fans of the game itself at all, – Sakievich shared his unexpected conclusion. – They come just for fun, the match is just a bonus. Many clubs openly position their events as “Come to the party, stay to the game” and this approach really works.

Lacrosse is the perfect model. Everyone can use it

NLL is a textured example of a digital-first league. It does not have a TV partner, TV rights are not realized at all, because all previous attempts have recognized as unsuccessful and, but instead of fighting for favorable conditions where it is difficult to get them, NLL has completely focused on social networks. The League believes that in order to develop, it needs to gradually collect data about its audience on the Internet than fight for television airtime, already occupied by competitors.

NLL Executive Vice President Kevin Morgan, who is in charge of revenue growth, said that seven of the nine operating franchises are already profitable.

Morgan used to work in the NHL structure, Sakievich has a football background: he was a professional goalkeeper, and then managed clubs and other projects in the MLS for 21 years. Perhaps it was because of this that they realized that competing with hockey, any of the footballs, as well as basketball and baseball head-on, is a hopeless path.

NLL is now the best example for any non-top sport league in any country.

Arsenal attracts and engages the youngest digital audience. How?

Top photo: twitter.com/nll

Prize money up to $3 million, salaries up to $35,000 per month: how much do they earn in esports

Global esports is growing even in quarantine, but still lives on investments. Players receive 90% of prize money at tournaments, teams earn on sponsors and media rights, but their expenses usually exceed income.

In 2018, global esports attracted, according to Deloitte estimates, $4. 5 billion in investments, 56% of which were provided by venture capital funds. The motivation of investors is clear: the video game industry is growing every year in all directions. According to Newzoo’s Global Esports Market Report 2020, in 2019th global esports audience reached 454 million people (+22% for the year), and the turnover was $950.6 million (+10%). At the same time, the industry receives 2/3 of its income from the sale of media rights and sponsors. There are more and more brands that are interested in eSports. So, in 2019, Nike became the exclusive outfitter of the Chinese league for League of Legends: a 4-year contract is estimated at tens of millions of dollars. Anheuser-Busch InBev has partnered with the Overwatch League, and Louis Vuitton has partnered with game publisher Riot Games to create a League of Legends World Cup trophy case. In 2020, according to Newzoo analysts, global esports revenue should exceed $1 billion, and the audience should come close to half a billion. Forbes understands how the esports economy works.

Tournaments

In eSports, unlike football and other team disciplines, 80-90% of prize money in tournaments goes to players, not clubs. As a rule, the amount of the winnings is divided proportionally between the team members, sometimes the captain gets a little more. In addition, a small percentage of the prize money is paid to the coach and analyst (up to 5% each).

“Each game has its own business model to motivate players,” says Sergey Glamazda, general manager of the Virtus.pro esports club. — In Dota 2, the entire tournament bracket is focused on one big event: teams play all season and score points to get to The International with a prize pool of more than $34 million. The champion gets 45.5% of this amount, that is, each of the five players of the winning team can earn under $3 million. In CS:GO, a bet is made on regular tournaments of approximately the same level – up to $1 million in prize money, very rarely – up to $2 million. But in this discipline, the basic salaries of players are higher.”

For example, in 2019, the Finnish Dota 2 player Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka became the champion in terms of earned prize money – $ 3,163,536. His OG teammate, Frenchman Sebastian “Ceb” Debs, received the same amount. This is the best result of the 2019 season in the world. Among the Russians, Ivan “ubah” Kapustin, who plays for the American club FaZe Clan in the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds discipline, collected the most prize money in 2019 ($305,465).

The historical leader in total prize money in various disciplines is the American esports club Team Liquid. Since its inception in 2000, its players have earned $35.1 million. In 2019Forbes calculated the club $24 million in revenue and placed it in 3rd place in the ranking of the most valuable esports franchises, estimating it at $320 million. Only superstars receive such money, there are not many of them in the world. Top-level players can expect $10,000 – $15,000, beginners – $2,000 – $5,000 per month. In young organizations they pay less – $ 500-1000. At the same time, there are no salary and transfer restrictions in the main disciplines of eSports.

“Every game has its own publisher,” says Evgeniy Zolotarev, general manager of the Natus Vincere esports club. – And in terms of status, this organization is like FIFA in football. But each publisher has its own business approach. For example, Valve (Dota 2 and CS:GO) does not regulate the system in any way: tournament organizers negotiate directly with teams and players. The ecosystems of Rainbow Six (published by UB Soft) and League of Legends (Riot Games) are organized differently: they have everything strictly regulated, all negotiations through the publisher, through notifications of interest in the player, the end of the contract, etc. ”

In September 2019, the American club Evil Geniuses paid the Russian organization Virtus.pro $75,000 for the transfer of Roman “RAMZEs” Kushnarev, the most successful Russian cybersportsman in history.

For the global Dota 2 transfer market, $75,000 is quite an adequate price for a good player, up to $150,000 is paid very rarely and only for superstars. In CS:GO the prices are higher. A top 30 player can cost $250,000 to $500,000 or more.

“Prices for CS:GO players are unreasonably high,” Zolotarev says. – Especially if you compare them with the income of the clubs. But at the same time, the discipline is monetized better than others – hence the demand. Plus, CS:GO is growing very well during the quarantine period. The game is clear even to an unprepared user. This increases both the audience of players and the audience of spectators. ”

In the spring of 2019, the Ukrainian club NaVi paid a little less than $300,000 for CS:GO player Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov from Winstrike. This is a record transfer for the CIS. But there have been deals worth $1 million a couple of times in the world.

“In esports, there is no common regulator for all disciplines,” Sergey Glamazda explains the difference in prices. “It is up to the game manufacturers who own the intellectual property rights to decide whether transfer rules are needed or not. So far, Valve sees no point in serious restrictions. If finances allow, the club can get any player at any time during the season. And publishers support competition and interest, regularly, every 2-3 weeks, changing some game mechanics. It’s like in football constantly changing, for example, the weight of the ball – even a superstar does not immediately adapt. Therefore, a transfer in eSports is not always a guarantee of future victories, each player adapts to game changes at different speeds and productivity.”

Club revenues

The economic performance of esports still leaves much to be desired: 95% of esports teams spend more than they earn. Many organizations are backed by investors, often venture capital funds. And the clubs work for evaluation: they think not so much about profit or self-sufficiency in the current moment, but about increasing turnover, investing in infrastructure. Their goal is to increase the price of the asset.

“The structure of the club’s income in esports is different from football,” says Zolotarev. – For example, NaVi sponsors bring about 60% of income, and media rights – only 10-15%. The rest is merchandising, league payouts and prize money. It is impossible to introduce financial Fair Play in esports, because there are many publishers. Even if one decides on restrictions, the club will not be able to generate a report on a specific discipline. Because sponsors tend to come to an organization represented by teams in multiple games.”

The minimum partner contract with a top esports club costs $100,000 – $200,000. Title sponsorship will cost from $1 million. — Now more and more brands of consumer goods become partners, and the number of transactions is growing. Modern esports is a very understandable asset for an advertiser who is fighting for a young audience in digital. Plus, emotions are important for brands, and esports guarantees them. And broadcasting tournaments solves the problem of blocking ads on the Internet.”

Club expenses

About half of an esports club’s expenses are player salaries. 20-25% is for office maintenance and marketing, another 10-20% is travel costs, equipment, base rental, etc. Player transfer costs may vary depending on the situation in the club, the market and other circumstances, but usually do not exceed 15%.

So, in 2019, the turnover of NaVi eSports club, one of the most popular in the world, amounted to $6 million. revenue can reach $20 million or more.

“In 2020, we planned to reach a turnover of $8 million,” Zolotarev says. — But because of the pandemic, it is difficult to predict the financial results. Yes, eSports is seeing a rise in views, clubs are partially cutting costs. But many tournaments have been canceled or postponed. Teams cannot play online across continents, so the organizers are forced to split the competition into regional ones and, accordingly, divide the prize money. In addition, sponsors do not know what to do: wait for the return of traditional sports or look for other options.