Mr. Olympia prize money.... Cheap Bastards!

[0893]

If your a bodybuilder to make money you're in the wrong sport/industry

No one gets into bodybuilding with the intention of getting rich.

 

[nspaletta]

What stunned me was at the Olympia J. Manion came up and made a speech about how much bodybuilding has grown under his watch. I believe it was 5x the amount of shows...3x the amount of prize money

 

[AshopRep]

No one gets into bodybuilding with the intention of getting rich.

Yes but some of us make a living in the field.

 

[GS]

No they don't get payed near what they put into it.Sure lady's deserve the same because they work just as hard as the men bodybuilders. Unfortunately i don't think the popularity is even close to the men O so in-turn the pay out is nowhere near the men's!

As far as making a living from the contests they can't ,seminar's,guest posing,sponsored by fitness industry (supplements)are the ways they make their living.

 

[buck]

as a side thought how many people are going to write to a manufacturer to suggest the help the athletes more or your spending dollar will be used else where.

 

[little slice]

No they don't get payed near what they put into it.Sure lady's deserve the same because they work just as hard as the men bodybuilders. Unfortunately i don't think the popularity is even close to the men O so in-turn the pay out is nowhere near the men's!

As far as making a living from the contests they can't ,seminar's,guest posing,sponsored by fitness industry (supplements)are the ways they make their living.

 

[0893]

No they don't get payed near what they put into it.Sure lady's deserve the same because they work just as hard as the men bodybuilders. Unfortunately i don't think the popularity is even close to the men O so in-turn the pay out is nowhere near the men's!

As far as making a living from the contests they can't ,seminar's,guest posing,sponsored by fitness industry (supplements)are the ways they make their living.

Sure someone like Iris Kyle might work has hard as the men but bikini and figure? Hell no, that's an Insult to all the bodybuilders worldwide.

 

[Deleted member 121863]

I just looked up the total prize money for the Mr. Olympia and I can't believe how much they rip off the winners. They make multi-millions of dollars for the weekend and their total pay out was only $950,000

You have any idea what it cost to put on the show? The venue, advertising, almost $1M in payouts, staff, staging, etc. When you wanna get a clue as to what an event cost to put on get back with something like "olympia only pays out X% of the gross revenue".... maybe that would be a little more of an argument. How much does the show net? Any idea?

In case you forgot about the rest of the world outside here, most think it is a gross freak show of juiced up meat-heads.... Meaning its not that popular with people outside this world. It doesnt bring in nearly the money of any other sport/competition.

If its your passion go compete, you know the "pay" up front. Would you take any other "job" knowing the pay, then complain about it on payday?

 

[Medic08]

You have any idea what it cost to put on the show? The venue, advertising, almost $1M in payouts, staff, staging, etc. When you wanna get a clue as to what an event cost to put on get back with something like "olympia only pays out X% of the gross revenue".... maybe that would be a little more of an argument. How much does the show net? Any idea?

In case you forgot about the rest of the world outside here, most think it is a gross freak show of juiced up meat-heads.... Meaning its not that popular with people outside this world. It doesnt bring in nearly the money of any other sport/competition.

If its your passion go compete, you know the "pay" up front. Would you take any other "job" knowing the pay, then complain about it on payday?

I will look into getting the profit info, but do really think these guys are possibly hurting for money? Lol right.... I guarantee you that with all the money they make from vendors paying to get a booth at the expo that their costs are covered. There are hundreds of vendors there paying a pretty penny to put their booth up. Then you add in ticket sales and I guarantee you that these guys walked away with millions in their pockets. Mr. Olympia tickets are expensive as shit, especially if you paid for the entire weekend or got VIP packages.

You're not telling me anything new about the bodybuilding industry. I know it's a freak show, but there is still a HUGE following and the supplement industry is a billion dollar industry.

 

[Growman]

Yes but some of us make a living in the field.

Yes a lot of people do make a nice living in the industry. Its a great industry to be in, as most people get into it because they love to train, so people end up doing what they love. Trust me thats a good thing, if you love your work you will have a much happier life.

GS had some good examples of ways to make money outside of competing. I mean there are tons of jobs in the industry. The vast majority of people that make a living in the industry do so without competing. Once you are a top level competitor though you have a huge advantage as you are a very well known name. Even if they continue to train clients they can charge a ton and get it !!!

 

[Deleted member 121863]

I will look into getting the profit info, but do really think these guys are possibly hurting for money? Lol right.... I guarantee you that with all the money they make from vendors paying to get a booth at the expo that their costs are covered. There are hundreds of vendors there paying a pretty penny to put their booth up. Then you add in ticket sales and I guarantee you that these guys walked away with millions in their pockets. Mr. Olympia tickets are expensive as shit, especially if you paid for the entire weekend or got VIP packages.

You're not telling me anything new about the bodybuilding industry. I know it's a freak show, but there is still a HUGE following and the supplement industry is a billion dollar industry.

It`s in vegas... do you know what the freight elevator operator gets paid? Probably $20/hr at least, its all union, all about union fees...uhh I mean jobs. I did a trade show in vegas and it was some of the worst staff ever, lazy mofo`s that are literally untouchable. I paid $2,000 for a 10`x10` space for 4 days... this was an empty piece of carpet. BUT I do believe who ever can pull together the biggest show there is (in class) deserves to be rewarded well. The "huge" following is relative and small compared to other events/sports.

 

[Gravel]

It`s in vegas... do you know what the freight elevator operator gets paid? Probably $20/hr at least, its all union, all about union fees...uhh I mean jobs. I did a trade show in vegas and it was some of the worst staff ever, lazy mofo`s that are literally untouchable. I paid $2,000 for a 10`x10` space for 4 days... this was an empty piece of carpet. BUT I do believe who ever can pull together the biggest show there is (in class) deserves to be rewarded well. The "huge" following is relative and small compared to other events/sports.

The Union basher....:banghead: This whole thread is about why bodybuilders are not paid fairly. Professional athletes such as baseball, basketball and football are all organized and represented by a Union. They have business agents who are negotiating with owners and the leagues based on revenue....its all market driven. Professional BB's should organize and partner with the IFBB, promoters, sponsors etc. to create a fair market salary. Prize $$$ is the bonus.....no different than the winners of an NBA championship would receive.

 

[pesty4077]

Body Building is getting paid what it is worth. You can't compare it to sports that are popular in USA. Body Building for the most is not a popular sport and most of the public looks down upon it because of drugs. It will never be main stream because of that.

 

[GS]

Nothing against the figure or bikini and other divisions but the bodybuilding is the only concern for me.

 

[Gravel]

Body Building is getting paid what it is worth. You can't compare it to sports that are popular in USA. Body Building for the most is not a popular sport and most of the public looks down upon it because of drugs. It will never be main stream because of that.

What criteria are you using to decide what Pro BB's are worth? Revenue is being generated because of them and some people are putting a lot of it in their pocket. For instance the NPC has over 50,000 members that's $6,000,000 and each promoter pays a large fee. Your correct ....it will never be mainstream but is paying the top 20 competitors in the sport a $5,000 salary a month unreasonable? It would help pay bills and buy a good health insurance policy.

 

[eric11]

Olympia money,body building money

As a body builder myself and competing I new I wasn't gonna make alote of money,I wasn't going for the fame or to be known I did it for the love of it the love of the sport.I do feel not just myself but the sport of body building itself all competitors deserve alote more money.Any one begs.to diff.chim in.

 

[0893]

What criteria are you using to decide what Pro BB's are worth? Revenue is being generated because of them and some people are putting a lot of it in their pocket. For instance the NPC has over 50,000 members that's $6,000,000 and each promoter pays a large fee. Your correct ....it will never be mainstream but is paying the top 20 competitors in the sport a $5,000 salary a month unreasonable? It would help pay bills and buy a good health insurance policy.

I am pretty sure in other countries(Middle East for example) amatuer bbers are paid right? Or atleast that's what I've heard

 

[Growman]

In my opinion Pesty, Gravel and Eric all make good points. There is plenty of money coming in right now to pay the competitors decently and give them a steady income, after all they are the ones who people are coming to see.

The problem is that BB is not mainstream and will never be because of the reasons mentioned. So the competitors dont have a platform to voice there opinions and get support from the fans. If any of them did they would be black balled and basically their career would be ruined.

Back in the day all of the major sports were like this, all the athletes were underpaid and they needed to work side jobs during the off season. The only difference is that they were well known because their sports were mainstream, so when they organized and went on strike people listened and they had the support of the fans.

There is nowhere near the amount of money in bodybuilding as there is in those sports, but there is enough to take better care of the athletes. In bodybuilding there are just a few people at the top, because there are no team owners like in other sports. And those people have all the control, and they are not about to give it up and lose their profits. Bodybuilders basically need to pay to participate, its the most one sided shitty deal.

 

[little slice]

What criteria are you using to decide what Pro BB's are worth? Revenue is being generated because of them and some people are putting a lot of it in their pocket. For instance the NPC has over 50,000 members that's $6,000,000 and each promoter pays a large fee. Your correct ....it will never be mainstream but is paying the top 20 competitors in the sport a $5,000 salary a month unreasonable? It would help pay bills and buy a good health insurance policy.

the fact that they are willing to compete knowing how little the cash prizes are..

it's like the fast food workers who are demanding $15 an hour for minimum wage.. it will never happen because employers know that as soon as the workers quit, other people will immediately step up to replace them at $8 or whatever they are paying.

 

[Deleted member 121863]

The Union basher....:banghead: This whole thread is about why bodybuilders are not paid fairly. Professional athletes such as baseball, basketball and football are all organized and represented by a Union. They have business agents who are negotiating with owners and the leagues based on revenue....its all market driven. Professional BB's should organize and partner with the IFBB, promoters, sponsors etc. to create a fair market salary. Prize $$$ is the bonus.....no different than the winners of an NBA championship would receive.

Sorry you missed my point. Everybody is talking about the GROSS of the show and ONE payout, the prize money. Nobody knows all the other EXPENSES! Reference to the union is.... drum roll.... they get paid way more than anybody else not in a union, and yes, most times, more than they are worth! This is a large expense, higher than it would be in other states.

You ever dealt with vegas union people? Specifically in the event centers? I have, they suck and their lazy, except a handful. That`s what happens when your job is protected to no ends, no matter what you screw up.