The 50 most profitable athletes in the world, of seven thousand athletes analyzed, were announced
Nowadays, being athletes of excellence in the field of play is not enough for sponsoring firms and get a connection with the fans; talking off the court is just as important for sponsors to give the vote of confidence to athletes.
The 50 most profitable athletes in the world (of seven thousand athletes analyzed) were announced based on the following criteria:
• Social media performance metrics: total number of posts, reach and interaction
• Audience metrics: audience type and affinity percentage
Both categories are intrinsically linked to interaction with fans. The knowledge they come to have in society and the causes for which they advocate off the field. Under this tenor, ten of the most commercial athletes who are led by American gymnast Simone Biles are listed.
1. Simone Biles, gymnast, United States
2. Naomi Osaka, tennis player, Japan *
3. Ashlyn Harris, football player, United States
4. Saul Alvarez, boxer, Mexico
5. Paulo Dybala, soccer player, Argentina
6. Cristiano Ronaldo, footballer, Portugal
7. Ali Krieger, football player, United States
8. Stefano Tsitsipas, tennis player, Greece
9. Novak Djokovic, tennis player, Serbia
10. Alex Morgan, football player, United States
*The highest paid athlete in history
According to the consultancy Nielsen, for 2023, publications on the rights and responsible practices of athletes are estimated at $ 1.2 billion in media value.
Triumph and social benefits as an identifying factor.
Both brands and fans are looking for their idols, or at least the closest to models to follow, to be characters who transcend on and off the playing field. and as an addition, that they have similar beliefs, that there is a convergence of ideas between sponsors-sponsored-fans.
If we analyze the case of Biles, Olympic medalist and number one on the list of most commercial athletes, in the last edition of the Olympic Games appealed to an important component: mental health; his words of “we must protect our after-minds and our bodies,” won over firms and people who today prioritize this aspect as the cornerstone for exercising on the playing field.
Add to that, Simone Biles is a winner in her discipline and complements her leadership qualities, Making her the perfect spokesperson to look for a common good such as mental health; projecting a security image by accepting that we probably both need to pay attention to this.
The rest of the athletes on the list, supported by social media, impact in a different way, style and personality, the community that follows them on the digital spectrum.