An administrative portion of the NFL's income has held a tax-exempt status for over seventy years; in 2016 this 501 (c) (6) status ends as will the publication commissioner's salary ($34M in 2014).

"In the NFL giving up its tax-exempt status, the league is no longer required to publicize Goodell's salary and other compensation in the future.

"Though the NFL has made many missteps, it continues to be an incredibly profitable organization. The NFL is giving up its 501 (c) (6) nonprofit status that it has enjoyed since 1942. While the league pays taxes on TV rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales, there is another portion of their revenue that has not been taxable."--Dani Bostick, SB Nation
 
Photo Attribution: By Marianne O'Leary [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons