- We take a look at the most expensive sports in the world. From polo to hot air balloon racing, the price tags on these sports are insane.
When it comes to sports, there are so many different sporting codes you can play or simply watch. Around the world, people enjoy the camaraderie that different sports afford. Whether it’s to socialise, maintain fitness, or done at a professional level, various sports provide different benefits.
From football to cricket, the pace and intensity will drastically differ. Some sports may be easy to get into, however, there are others that require lots of money for people to participate in. If you’d prefer to sit back and enjoy online bingo, which won’t cost you that much, there are great online bingo sites available for you to get your daubing on.
If you’ve been wondering how much it costs to participate in certain sporting codes, we discuss 10 of the most expensive sports in the world.
1. The Whitanga Festival of Sports
Undoubtedly the most expensive sport in the world, the Whitanga Festival of Sports is an annual event held in New Zealand. It may seem wild for some who have never heard of it, but yes, it involves helicopters, cars, powerboats, and jet skis racing, as well as parachute swooping. With all this heavy machinery, it makes sense why this is the most expensive sport in the world. Just owning and maintaining these jet skis, cars, and helicopters costs a huge amount of money.
2. Formula 1
Formula 1 is a motorsport that gets participants and spectators adrenaline pumping. As the tyres take to the track and the sheer sound of speeding cars fill the air, Formula 1 ignites euphoria in all who love this sport. Although, Formula 1 is an extremely expensive sport. Even the smallest teams at the back of the grid have cars that cost approximately £1.8 million.
Drivers need to bring their own sponsors and those sponsors will need to have deep pockets. In some instances, the minimum sponsorship requirement can be as high as £149,224. If you’ve ever watched a Formula 1 race, you would’ve seen how quickly and frequently drivers need to change their tyres. Well, those tyres aren’t cheap! In addition, to an infinite number of tyres on standby, the cars are quite fragile which means the insurance premiums on the cars are insanely high too.
3. Sailing
Who knew a space as tranquil as the sea could rake up so much money for the sports that take place there? However, it begins to make sense when you think about the money that is required to buy and maintain a sailboat.
Be prepared to spend up to £20,000 on the deposit for a sailing vessel as well as £1000 for monthly costs, if you would like to participate in events such as the Vice Admiral’s Cup and the Emirates America’s Cup World Series. These sailing competitions generally take place over a few months and during the rest of the year, the boat is stored.
While the boat is being stored, this is where people spend most of their money, as it is necessary to make sure that once the boat is on dry land, it is suitable to go back in the water. Over time, the maintenance of the boat becomes very expensive.
4. Polo
Any sport that involves a horse is seen as quite expensive. These sports were generally reserved for the elite. In polo, you will need at least four horses. Can you imagine how much that costs? Polo is commonly referred to as the “Sport of Kings’’. Polo players will need to have 4 horses in the event of horse injuries so that they are always equipped to take to the field.
To run a polo match can cost as much as £117,808. Although, most polo torunaments are sponsored by big and famous companies. Polo goes hand -in-hand with the royal family. Prince William and Prince Harry can often be seen jumping on the saddle and taking to the field for a polo charity match.
5. Equestrian
You will need to buy, train, and maintain a thoroughbred horse costing as much as £254,652 per year. Equestrian sports require riding, driving, and steeplechase skills. This may be the dream of many people, however, the reality is that the training and maintenance of the horses can reach astronomical figures. This means only a few get to enjoy this sport.
6. Tennis
Tennis has always had a reputation for being an expensive sport. In the last few decades, the sport has started to evade its country club image as being a sport for the rich. However, it is still a sport that people with limited financial resources find difficult to keep up with consistently. The expenses raked up are due to the different kinds of equipment tennis players need, including racquets, shoes, balls, strings and the tennis court fees.
7. Ski Jumping
Professional level ski jumping is quite an expensive sport to enjoy. The yearly expenses that come with ski jumping include skiing equipment, a coach, and a ski jumping slope. You can expect to pay around £78,539 for everything you will need to participate in professional ski jumping. Oh, and don’t forget the travel and insurance costs! If you do not have great sums of money at your disposal, you could seek out sponsors.
8. Bobsledding
Most people’s understanding of bobsledding is formed from the movie “Cool Runnings” which is actually based on a true story. In the movie, one of the challenges that the team had besides having no ice or a track, was buying the bobsled. A bobsled can cost around £19,650 without any additional equipment or insurance. Just like in Formula 1, most bobsled teams rely on sponsorships to get the necessary money to take part in events.
9. Hot Air Balloon Racing
Yes, hot air balloon racing is an actual sport! However, flying one does not come cheap. People will need to spend a fortune on training and it can take quite a long time to become a pro at racing these hot air balloons. In addition to spending money on training, the actual hot air balloon can cost around £15,720. Prepare to spend even more if you want the best features and if you wish to increase your chance of being competitive.
10. Golf
Millions of people enjoy golf as a recreational sport. However, golf is widely known for being an expensive sport. Whether you wish to play professionally or simply tee off for some peace, membership fees at prestigious country clubs can set you back thousands of pounds. You’ll also need to factor in the golf equipment and the caddy fees. You can expect to pay around £100,000 for a membership at Wentworth, if not more.
Is the huge price worth it?
If you have that kind of money laying around why not dabble in these extreme sports? However, if maintaining a horse or sailboat is out of reach, sports such as football and volleyball shouldn’t be discredited. If you prefer to be a spectator, why not play a game of online bingo for equal thrill and excitement? Whatever you decide, these sports will continue to rake up millions of well-spent pounds.
