US gymnastics icon Simone Biles has once again topped SportsPro’s annual list of the world’s most marketable athletes. In the prestigious ranking, published for the 15th year by SportsPro, Biles takes the number one spot for the second time, making her the first woman to achieve this feat and joining football stars Lionel Messi and Neymar as the only athletes to have topped the list twice.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, leads a diverse 2024 list that assesses athletes based on brand strength, total addressable market, and social and economic impact. Her achievement highlights her enduring influence and popularity, reaffirmed since her last number-one placement in 2021. Behind her in this year’s rankings are Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior and basketball veteran LeBron James, who drops to third from his second-place position last year. Newcomer Caitlin Clark, star of the Indiana Fever, debuts at fourth, while Lionel Messi rounds out the top five.
SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes (50MM) list, produced in collaboration with consulting firm NorthStar Solutions Group, represents athletes from across the sporting world. NorthStar contributed an enhanced evaluation model to this year’s ranking, incorporating 16 drivers to score each athlete’s marketability through a mix of qualitative and quantitative data.
According to Michael Long, Editorial Director of SportsPro, the 50MM ranking continues to be a critical annual measure of commercial and social influence in sport: “Our 50MM list provides fascinating insights into how the planet’s top sports stars are developing their personal brands and business interests in any given year,” said Long. He added that the 2024 list features a balance of established names and emerging talents, each using their platform to create value for commercial partners and raise awareness of important causes.
The 2024 list includes 28 male and 22 female athletes, with sports representation led by football and basketball, which account for 15 and 11 athletes respectively. Among the notable entrants, 17-year-old Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal debuts as the most marketable teenager at number 41. Rugby also makes a return, with US Olympian Ilona Maher ranking eighth, and six WNBA players make the list, giving the league the highest representation of any sport this year.
Chris Collins, President and Chief Executive of NorthStar Solutions Group, underscored the social value of this year’s ranking criteria. “Our enhanced evaluation methodology demonstrates not just the commercial potential of these athletes but also their influence in driving positive change in society. Simone Biles exemplifies this impact, making her a fitting leader for the 2024 list,” he said.
With athletes from 18 countries on the list, the United States accounts for 42 per cent of the selections, and 21 athletes have recently competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Despite the high turnover in the rankings, some established stars like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to feature, while others, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Robert Lewandowski, and Emma Raducanu, have dropped out this year.
For those involved in sports marketing and sponsorship, SportsPro’s 50MM list serves as a definitive resource. The complete top 50 list and extended top 150 are available to download on the 50MM content hub, where further analysis of the methodology and athlete profiles is also featured. To view the full list of the World’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes of 2024, visit 50mm.sportspromedia.com.
