NFL research summary. According to the National Football League demographic and financial statistics, even though players are primarily people of color, most management, coaching, and official positions are held by male non-people of color. Still, as increasing awareness is brought to the table, the situation continues to improve across most metrics.
After extensive research, our data analysis team concluded:
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The NFL’s total 2022 revenue was $18 billion, an increase from $12.2 billion in 2020.
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The average franchise value of an NFL team is $4.47 billion.
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According to TIDES data, the NFL received an overall racial hiring grade of B+ and a gender hiring grade of C.
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As of 2023, 57.5% of National Football League players are people of color.
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About 14.9 million people watch a regular-season NFL game on TV, compared to 3.9 million for the NBA, 2.1 million for MLB, 1.3 million for NHL, and 1.0 million for MLS.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Gender | General Financial | Fan
National football league statistics by race
The NFL has always faced challenging dialogue over race within the sport. To understand the relationship between the NFL’s hiring practices and race, here are some key facts:
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In 2020, 69.4% of National Football League players were of color, a decrease of 3.2% from 2016.
The percentage of Black or African-American NFL players reached 57.5%, Whites 24.9%, Hispanics or Latinos 0.4%, Asians 0.1%, Pacific Islanders 1.6%, and American Indian 0.2%. 9.4% of players identified as two or more races.
All of this gave the NFL a TIDES racial score of 85.5% in 2020 and a B+ for racial hiring practices. Here’s a high-level summary of the NFL’s report card scores across all racial categories:
TIDES NFL racial report card scores
Category Grade Overall Racial Hiring B+ Race of NFL Players A+ Head Coaches D+ Assistant Coaches A+ GMs/Principal-in-Charge F CEOs/Presidents D+ Senior Administration B Professional Administration B+ NFL Players A+ Head Coaches D+ Assistant Coaches A+ League Office A+ CEOs/Presidents D+ C-Suite Executives C- Vice Presidents C- -
When it comes to head coaching positions, Black or African-American representation dropped to 9.4% in 2020, while 12.5% of head coaches were of color.
Here’s a table outlining the racial differences in head coaching positions across the NFL:
People of color representation among NFL head coaches
Year White Hispanic or Latinx Black or African American 2020 28 1 3 2019 28 1 3 2018 26 1 3 2017 24 1 7 2016 24 1 7 2015 26 1 5 2014 26 1 5 2013 27 1 4 2012 28 1 3 2011 26 1 5 2010 24 1 7 -
14.5% of League Office vice presidents and above are people of color.
This number fluctuated over time. 13.7% of team-level vice presidents are people of color, increasing from 12.8% last year. When it comes to management roles, 30.5% are POC, which is a record high.
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Among the 251 broadcasters who work with the NFL’s TV and radio partners, 49 (less than one-fifth) were Black.
Additionally, there were only two black announcers in 2019: Greg Gumbel with CBS and Brian Custer with FOX.
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In 2020, Jason Wright of the Washington Football Club became the first Black team President in NFL history.
Furthermore, the NFL currently has two people of color with significant ownership interests: businessman Shad Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kim Peluga of the Buffalo Bills.
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The NFL’s 2022 TIDES score for race is 85.0%, which is an increase from 82.3% in 2019.
Several factors that led to these changes include:
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An increase in assistant coaches of color from 35.6% in 2020 to 39% in 2021;
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An increase of people of color in management positions within the League Office;
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An increase of people of color in professional administration positions from 20.7% in 2019 to 24.1% in 2020.
However, the NFL saw their score decrease based on team senior administration, as well as the fact that the combined number of POC officials decreased from an all-time high record of 39 in 2019 to 34 in 2020.
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National football league statistics by gender
The NFL has been a male-dominated field for many years, but the presence of women on the field has increased over time. As of 2023, there are more female coaches and trainers than ever before. However, that doesn’t mean the sport still doesn’t have a long way to go.
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The NFL’s 2022 TIDES score for gender is 81.4%
This represents a significant 6% increase from 2021, when the score was only 75%. Three notable recent women of the NFL include Jennifer King (who is also a person of color), Callie Brownson, and Sarah Thomas.
However, both team senior administration and team professional administration levels experienced decreases in TIDES gender scores. Here’s how they stacked up against the NFL’s other positions:
TIDES 2020 NFL gender report card scores
Category Grade Overall Gender Hiring C League Office B CEOs/Presidents F Senior Administration F Professional Administration C+ C-Suite Executives D+ Vice Presidents F -
When it comes to the NFL League Office, the overall percentage of women involved was 41.3% in 2022, which was an increase from 38.2% in 2020.
This was also an increase of 12 percentage points since 2014. As of 2022, there are currently 319 women holding various positions at the League Office.
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Women make up 25.3% of team administration positions in the NFL.
As of 2021, women held 25.3% of team senior administration positions, an increase from 23.9% in 2020.
Additionally, 31.5% of the vice president and above positions are represented by a woman, while a woman represents 21.1% of the vice president positions at the team level.
National football league general financial statistics
The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry, making money off event tickets, advertisements, and merchandise. To find out more about the massive financial empire that is the NFL, we’ve gathered some interesting facts:
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In 2021, the National Football League brought in more than $17.19 billion, a drastic increase compared to $4.2 billion in 2001.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused the figure to drop to $12.2 billion in 2020, the NFL remains the most profitable professional sports league in the United States. Here’s how the numbers play out across the past two decades:
Total revenue of all national football league teams
Year Revenue (Billions) 2021 $17.19B 2020 $12.2B 2019 $15.26B 2018 $14.48B 2017 $13.68B 2016 $13.16B 2015 $12.16B 2014 $11.09B 2013 $9.58B 2012 $9.17B 2011 $8.82B 2010 $8.35B 2009 $8.02B 2008 $7.57B 2007 $7.09B 2006 $6.54B 2005 $6.16B 2004 $6.03B 2003 $5.33B 2002 $4.94B 2001 $4.28B Comparatively, Major League Baseball (MLB) had a revenue of about $10.37 billion, the National Basketball Association (NBA) about $7.92 billion, and the National Hockey League (NHL) about $4.37 billion in 2019.
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The average franchise value of an NFL team is $4.47 billion.
The Dallas Cowboys, who generated $800 million in revenue during 2020 and are the highest-grossing team in the league, top the list with an operating income of $280 million and an estimated value of $5.7 billion. The next closest is the New England Patriots, which have a franchise value of $5 billion.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Buffalo Bills, which have an estimated worth of $2.05 billion, and the Los Angeles Chargers with an operating income of -$49 million.
Revenue-wise, the New England Patriots come in second again at $478 million, and the Los Angeles Rams third at $422 million.
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As an organization, the NFL has many revenue streams.
Typical streams include:
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Sponsorships ($1.62 billion expected in 2021);
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Media (both broadcast and digital);
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Partnerships;
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Ticket and concession sales (1.25% of the NFL’s total revenue in 2020);
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Television rights.
On average, an NFL team earned about $7 million in ticket sales per stadium event during 2016, on which they earned about 8% profit. Expenses include:
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Athletes/musicians: 55%
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General stadium administration: 10%
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Coaching staff: 5%
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Taxes: 5%
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National football league fan statistics
The NFL’s success is driven by the sport’s dedicated fanbase. These fans are often die-hard supporters of their teams, and will enjoy games and purchase merchandise regularly. Here are some facts that show how NFL fans drive the football indsutry:
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Among professional sports leagues, the NFL boasts the highest per-game attendance.
On average, an NFL game draws 66,000+ spectators, with more than 16 million total during the 2019 season. About 14.9 million people watch a regular-season NFL game on TV.
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The Super Bowl is one of the biggest single-day sports events in the world.
Super Bowl 55 boasted 91.6 million TV viewers (96.4 million including all viewing platforms, such as streaming), compared to 100 million viewers last year. This represented the lowest number since 2007’s match between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears (93.2 million TV viewers, or 96.4 million combining other platforms).
Super bowl TV viewership over time
Year Number of TV Viewers (Millions) 2022 112.3M 2021 96.4M 2020 100.45M 2019 98.19M 2018 103.39M 2017 111.32M 2016 111.86M 2015 114.44M 2014 112.19M 2013 108.69M 2012 111.35M 2011 111.01M 2010 106.48M 2009 98.73M 2008 97.45M 2007 93.18M Depending on the source, the Super Bowl generates between $30 million and $500 million for host cities, in addition to millions of dollars in ad revenue for the league and billions of in-store merchandise sales and other consumer spending leading up to the game.
National football league demographics and financials FAQ
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What percentage of NFL team revenue goes to player salaries?
About 48% of an NFL team’s revenue goes to player salaries in 2022. This is a slight decrease from 55% in 2020, but still represents a massive income for players.
For example, if season revenue sharing equated to $433.755 million in 2022, that means players earned approximently $208.2 million.
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How much do NFL players earn per season?
The average NFL player earns $860,000 per season. Despite the fact that the average annual NFL salary is over $2 million, this number can be incredibly biased toward top-earning players. More realistically, rookie players will earn a minimum pay of $435,000, and each team has a salary cap of $188.2 million.
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What’s the percentage of players of color in the NFL?
57.5% of NFL players are people of color in 2023. This is a considerable decrease from 2020 when 69.4% of NFL players were people of color. More specifically, 57.5% of NFL players were Black, 9.4% identified as two or more races, 0.4% Hispanic or Latinx, 0.1% Asian, 1.6% Pacific Islander, and 0.2% American Indian.
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What is the NFL’s annual revenue?
The NFL’s total revenue for 2022 was $18 billion. This is an increase from $17.19 billion in 2021. However, the largest increase occurred between 2020-2021, when revenue shot up 41%.
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How much is an NFL team worth?
The average 2022 value of an NFL team is $4.47 billion. This is an increase from just over $3 billion in 2020.
Conclusion
According to TIDES data, the NFL is making progress in racial and gender diversity for many different positions, both on and off the field. And while the NFL’s revenue dropped significantly between 2019 and 2020, there was a clear rebound for the 2021 season. While it’s unclear where the NFL might be headed in the future, the industry has certainly recovered from the negative effects of the pandemic.
Sources
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The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. The 2020 Racial and Gender Report Card – National Football League. Accessed on 9/28/21.
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Statista. Total revenue of all National Football League teams from 2001 to 2020. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Statista. National Football League (NFL) – Statistics Facts. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Statista. National Football League revenue by team in 2020. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Statista. Operating income of National Football League teams in 2020. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Investopedia. How The NFL Makes Money. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Sporting News. How many people watched Super Bowl 55? Ratings, viewership numbers take big hit in 2021. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Sports Media Watch. Super Bowl Ratings History (1967-present). Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Business Insider. Why hosting the Super Bowl isn’t worth it, according to an economist. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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CNBC. The Super Bowl is worth billions each year — Here’s who makes what. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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Statista. Average television viewership of the NFL regular season from 2010 to 2020. Accessed on 9/29/21.
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The Guardian. The NFL is 70% black, so why is its TV coverage so white? Accessed on 9/30/21.
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Chron.com. How Much Money Does an NFL Player Make a Year? Accessed on 9/30/21.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
