Mike Trout's Record-Setting Contract: A Deep Dive Into Sports Earnings

When Mike Trout inked a 12-year extension to stay with the Los Angeles Angels, it was hailed as a massive, record-setting deal. Trout's $430 million contract is the largest guaranteed deal in professional sports. It will likely keep him in L.A. for the rest of his career, and he will obviously be set for life. However, a closer look reveals that, technically, Trout's contract isn't the largest of all time. That honor belongs to Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather signed a deal with Showtime in 2013 for six fights over 30 months. Although the value of the deal was never released publicly, it paid the boxer an estimated $450 million. That's an average of $75 million per fight, thanks largely to Mayweather's promotional skills. So why do most people not consider Mayweather's deal the largest ever?

It's all in the guarantees. When Mayweather inked his deal with Showtime, he wasn't even guaranteed half of his total earnings, as the contract was worth $200 million. In contrast, Trout's deal guarantees him $430 million, regardless of how he performs on the field. After massive paydays from bouts with Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather's total deal earnings rose to $450 million.

The Showtime contract proved to be a significant portion of Mayweather's career earnings. The boxer is one of only three professional athletes to make at least $1 billion in on-field earnings, alongside Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Meanwhile, Trout still has a long way to go in reaching a billion dollars, as this latest deal will push his career earnings to an estimated $515 million.

It turns out "Money" Mayweather is a rather appropriate nickname, after all.