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How does Hamilton’s new multi-million pound contract compare with other sports?

Hamilton is among the top-earning sports stars in the world.

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Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has finally agreed a new deal with Mercedes, understood to be worth £40-million-a-year until the end of 2020.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at some of the other British and Irish stars to feature on 2018 Forbes list of the 100 top earners from around the world.

Conor McGregor – £77.5millon (99million US Dollars)

Irishman Conor McGregor saw his earnings boosted by a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas.
Irishman Conor McGregor saw his earnings boosted by a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas. (PA Wire)

The Mixed Martial Arts fighter from Dublin sits at number four in the Forbes list, which is headed by boxer Floyd Mayweather. It was his lucrative Las Vegas bout against the American which helped swell the earnings of UFC star, who banked an estimated 85m US Dollars (£66.5m) for the contest. Although he was defeated, McGregor signed several sponsorship deals around the showdown, from Burger King and Beats by Dre to Betsafe. The 30-year-old Irishman also generates additional revenue from digital ventures such as Conor McGregor’s FAST extreme performance training plan.

Anthony Joshua – £30.5million (39million US Dollars)

The second-highest earning British sportstar behind Hamilton, who sits 12th with £40m (51m US Dollars), heavyweight boxer Joshua enjoyed a successful, and lucrative, year. His victory over Joseph Parker saw almost 1.5m pay-per-view purchases, with a crowd of some 78,000 packed into Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The 28-year-old, who won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, is signed up with sponsors such as Under Armour, Jaguar and Lucozade Sport. In the ring, Joshua can expect another bumper payday from his upcoming fight against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley – with potential money-spinning showdown against WBC champion Deontay Wilder also on the horizon.

Rory McIlroy – £29.5million (37.7million US Dollars)

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will be hoping he can find some consistency on the course again when he tackles The Open at Carnoustie.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will be hoping he can find some consistency on the course again when he tackles The Open at Carnoustie. (David Davies/PA Wire)

Golfer McIlroy saw his progress last year hampered by injuries, but continued to be in demand for sponsorship deals, signing a 10-year extension with Nike and a long-term tie-up with TaylorMade – which, according to Forbes, brought in more than his tournament earnings. McIlroy’s form improved over the early part of 2018, claiming the Arnold Palmer Invitational title in March and then tied fifth at The Masters. However, the Northern Ireland golfer, 29, went on to miss the cut at both The Players Championship and the US Open, where he carded a first-round of 80.

Gareth Bale – £27million (34.6million US Dollars)

Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid won the 2018 Champions League.
Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid won the 2018 Champions League. (Nick Potts/PA Wire)

Wales forward Bale, who scored twice as Real Madrid beat Liverpool to win the 2018 Champions League final, has a lucrative contract – reported to be worth some £26m – with the Spanish giants, which is set to run until June 2022. Bale also has a long-term sponsorship deal with Adidas. As Wales were not at the World Cup, he also took part in a light-hearted summer advertising campaign for on-line shopping.

Wayne Rooney – £21million (27million US Dollars)

Veteran striker Rooney found himself at 58 in the Forbes list, remaining one of the top-10 highest-earning football players for the 11th year running. After returning to boyhood club Everton from Manchester United in July 2017, the 32-year-old recently completed a move to Major Soccer League franchise DC United – which is said to be worth some £300,000-a-week as part of a three-year deal. Rooney has a long-term boot sponsorship deal with Nike.

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