How much money did NFL make last year? Roger Goodell justifying contract talks after raking in billions

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has had lofty goals for the league since he has been in charge. One of those is to increase the overall revenue of the league. According to a report from Sportico at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season, the league is on its way to reaching its revenue goal and beyond.

Goodell has said for years that he wants the NFL to reach $25 billion in revenue by the year 2027. At the end of the 2022 season, the revenue of the league was at about $19 billion.

"Commissioner Roger Goodell has long held a target of $25 billion in revenue by 2027. The league is at roughly $19 billion right now, and while escalators in the media deals will help, there’s more needed to reach that target," the Sportico report stated.

Late last year, the league announced that it had signed a new media rights deal with YouTube, who would now broadcast the Sunday Ticket package. A seven-year deal worth $14 billion that adds significant wealth to the league's revenue.

The popularity of the international fan base in the NFL has also grown as games continue to be played in various cities overseas. The addition of an NFL game in Germany was an instant success for the league and a major way to add revenue.

NFL teams will also soon be allowed to open sports betting in their stadium, which could create nearly 410 billion in additional revenue.

Despite the challenges the NFL dealt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in ticket sales, the league is still finding ways to increase the revenue.

So, if the league is still on track to reach its target revenue number, then why are professional football contracts still so underwhelming?

Based on the average annual player's salary by professional sports leagues, the NFL is listed as the fifth-highest behind the NBA, the Indian Premier League, MLB and the English Premier League. The league has an average annual player salary of just about $3.26 million.

As the league continues its efforts to create additional revenue through media deals, ticket prices, fan engagement and other sources, paying the players who are responsible for creating that revenue is certainly next.

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How long has Roger Goodell been the NFL Commissioner?

Roger Goodell was named as the commissioner of the National Football League in August 2006 after Paul Tagliabue retired from the position. He received two-thirds of the votes over Gregg Levy, who was also up for the position.

Goodell started his career with the NFL in 1982 as an administrative intern in the league offices. He then worked for the New York Jets as an intern in 1983.

In 1984, he was hired to be an assistant in the public relations department with the NFL. In December 2001, Roger Goodell was hired as the NFL's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, a position he held until being named Commissioner.