{"id":514312,"date":"2022-10-17T02:00:08","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T09:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=514312"},"modified":"2022-10-13T09:02:35","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T16:02:35","slug":"50mm-katie-ledecky-ranked-21st-most-marketable-athlete-of-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/50mm-katie-ledecky-ranked-21st-most-marketable-athlete-of-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"50MM: Katie Ledecky Ranked 21st Most Marketable Athlete of 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

50MM: Katie Ledecky Ranked 21st Most Marketable Athlete of 2022<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Portuguese soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo<\/strong> has been named the most marketable athlete on the planet for 2022, with the Manchester United player coming out on top in SportsPro\u2019s latest global rankings. Meanwhile, Katie Ledecky<\/strong> ranked No. 21, an impressive feat in an non-Olympic year.<\/p>\n

The five-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner, 37, secured a commanding Marketability Score of 91.21 out of a possible 100, putting him some distance ahead of now-retired tennis star Serena Williams<\/strong> in second and seven-time Formula One world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton in third.<\/p>\n

Now in its 13th year, SportsPro\u2019s 50 Most Marketable (50MM) platform enables sports marketers to make intelligent sponsorship decisions through the application of comprehensive data analysis, advanced social media monitoring, economic valuations, and consumer insights.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s updated ranking methodology, developed in partnership with NorthStar Solutions Group, was devised to paint the most complete picture of athlete marketability in the sports industry, combining on-field performance and off-field factors such as personal brand development, audience reach and engagement, and social impact.<\/p>\n

With 22 women on the list, the 2022 ranking is the most gender-diverse yet. The continued rise of women\u2019s soccer globally proved a defining factor, with Chelsea forward Sam Kerr<\/strong>, the joint-face of EA Sports\u2019 FIFA 23 game this year, the highest new entry at number nine.<\/p>\n

As in previous years, soccer remains the most prominent sport represented in the ranking with 17 players, while tennis is second with nine. A total of 14 Americans and seven former number ones also feature, with gymnast Olivia Dunne, ranked 44th<\/sup>, the only college athlete to make the list. The average age of the athletes is 30, which is higher than ever before, while Nike boasts 22 sponsored athletes in the list, more than any other brand.<\/p>\n

Dunne\u2019s compatriot and fellow gymnast Simone Biles<\/strong>, ranked number one in 2021, drops to 11th<\/sup>\u00a0this year. Only three athletes who featured in last year\u2019s top ten retained their place among the top-ranked names – Ronaldo, Naomi Osaka<\/strong> and Alex Morgan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Michael Long, Editorial Director at SportsPro said:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWho is the most marketable athlete on the planet today? We at SportsPro have asked ourselves that very question every year since 2010, and each year the process of answering it provides a fascinating snapshot of the business of athlete marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarketability can be defined in many ways, but what\u2019s clear from our in-depth assessment is that each of the athletes in this year\u2019s diverse list delivers considerable value to their brand partners. Not only are they elite, highly visible performers in their respective sports, their individual reach and influence and, in many cases, willingness to speak out on social issues positions them as ideal ambassadors for companies seeking to communicate authentically to consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Collins, President at NorthStar said:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cNorthStar is excited to present this year\u2019s 50 Most Marketable Athletes list. SportsPro and associated partners have a long-standing history of providing compelling, insightful and thought-provoking content around athlete marketability and I\u2019m honoured to be part of forwarding that tradition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m endlessly proud of our team here at NorthStar and thankful for the commitment and contributions of our partners at SportsPro, D-Tag Analytics, Zoomph and SponsorPulse who helped make the 2022 50 Most Marketable Athletes list possible. I am looking forward to the next couple of years as we continue our partnership with SportsPro and other interested partners to evolve the list and be at the forefront of the ever-changing conversation around athlete marketability.\u201d<\/p>\n

SportsPro\u2019s 50 Most Marketable Athletes 2022 \u2013 the Top 10:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer, 37<\/li>\n
  2. Serena Williams, Tennis, 41<\/li>\n
  3. Lewis Hamilton, Motorsport, 37<\/li>\n
  4. LeBron James, Basketball, 37<\/li>\n
  5. Lionel Messi, Soccer, 35<\/li>\n
  6. Naomi Osaka, Tennis, 25<\/li>\n
  7. Virat Kohli, Cricket, 33<\/li>\n
  8. Alex Morgan, Soccer, 33<\/li>\n
  9. Sam Kerr, Soccer, 29<\/li>\n
  10. Tom Brady, Football, 45<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    To view the full list of the World\u2019s 50 Most Marketable Athletes, head over to SportsPro\u2019s dedicated 50MM content hub at\u00a0www.sportspro50mm.com<\/a>. Join in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #SP50MM.<\/p>\n

    50MM: The Methodology<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Athletes are ranked according to their \u2018Marketability Score\u2019, which is split into three distinct scoring components: Brand strength, Audience and reach, and Economics. These weighted scores have been added together to generate an overall Marketability Score out of 100, with each athlete assigned a proportionate score in relation to the top performer for each metric.<\/p>\n

    The brand strength score, which carries a maximum score of 20, is determined by individual factors such as an athlete\u2019s competitive performance, citizenship and risk profile. Audience and reach \u2013 with a maximum score of 50 – comprises factors such as brand awareness and focus, follower engagement and demographic reach, and consumer perception and sentiment.<\/p>\n

    Meanwhile the economics score, which carries a maximum score of 30, goes beyond the traditional financial measure of ROI to assess market demand for the athlete, their proactive engagement with social or environmental issues, and growth potential.<\/p>\n

    How is the 50 Most Marketable Athletes list generated?<\/u><\/p>\n

    In order to be considered eligible for this year\u2019s list, an athlete must have been active\u00a0during the evaluation period (1st<\/sup>\u00a0December 2021 to 31st<\/sup>\u00a0July 2022)\u00a0in one of the 24 sports analysed*. They must have also been listed as a primary starter if competing in a team sport, actively training for upcoming Olympic competition, or participating in annual World Championships.<\/p>\n

    In order to pare down the full eligible athlete population to a plausible list of most globally marketable athletes, a starter list of athletes was compiled based on:<\/p>\n