What Is the Biggest Sports Contract Ever
The biggest sports contract ever is the 10-year, $500 million extension signed by Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 10, 2024, which is widely reported as the largest guaranteed deal in professional sports history by total value and length. The contract includes a no-trade clause, full no-trade protection, and a structure that front-loads deferred payments, making it a defining benchmark for future mega-deals in baseball and across all major leagues.
Ohtani, a two-way star who both pitches and hits, joined the Dodgers after opting out of his previous deal with the Los Angeles Angels, and the contract is designed to keep him with the team through his mid-30s, with annual averages exceeding $50 million and total compensation including deferred money paid well beyond his playing years. The deal is frequently cited by analysts and media outlets as the new standard for maximum contract value in North American professional sports.
Key Details and Structure of the Largest Deal
The contract is a 10-year, $500 million agreement that includes a full no-trade clause and guarantees the entire value, with the Dodgers using a deferred payment structure that allows the team to manage luxury tax and cap implications while securing Ohtani for the long term. The deal is fully guaranteed, meaning Ohtani receives the full contract value regardless of performance, injury, or team decisions, which is a key reason it stands out in historical rankings of the biggest contracts.
Compared to previous record deals such as the 13-year, $426.5 million contract signed by Miguel Cabrera and the 10-year, $426 million deal signed by CJ McCollum, Ohtani's agreement surpasses them in both total value and annual average, and it is widely reported as the largest contract in terms of guaranteed money in professional sports history. The structure also reflects modern trends in athlete compensation, where teams balance current luxury tax burdens with long-term financial flexibility.
How This Deal Compares to Other Record Contracts
In the NBA, the largest contract is often cited as the 5-year, $271 million supermax extension signed by Stephen Curry, while in the NFL, the biggest deals are structured with large signing bonuses and guarantees, such as the 5-year, $275 million extension signed by Deshaun Watson, though none of these reach the total value of Ohtani's agreement. In soccer, deals such as Cristiano Ronaldo's reported 2-year, $480 million contract with Al Nassr include massive deferred and off-field components, but the guaranteed on-field value is lower than Ohtani's fully guaranteed MLB deal.
Across leagues, Ohtani's contract is consistently ranked as the biggest sports contract ever in terms of total guaranteed value and length, and it is frequently referenced in discussions about the future of athlete compensation and salary caps. The deal sets a new financial ceiling for professional sports and is expected to influence contract negotiations for elite athletes across baseball, basketball, football, and soccer for years to come.