As mentioned in this social media post from our founder and CEO, Bob Lynch, social media remained a powerful platform for athletes to connect with fans and grow their influence in 2024. According to SponsorUnited’s analysis of 10,123 athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo led the charge, gaining an incredible 34 million new followers across his platforms. Notably, when including new channels like YouTube, his growth soars to an unparalleled 100 million followers. He has deals with brands like WHOOP, Herbalife, and Therabody. Following closely were Mike Tyson (+18.9M), whose deals include BYLT Basics, NAGA, and iHerb, Vinicius Jr. (+17.7M), who partners with Pepsi, Nike, and Playstation, Jude Bellingham (+13.5M), and Kylian Mbappé (+13.3M). Interestingly, the top two athletes on the list—Ronaldo and Tyson—have a combined age of 98, highlighting that age is no barrier to global digital appeal. In contrast, younger stars like Bellingham and Vinicius Jr., who are half their age, are capturing the hearts of a new generation.
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Football and cricket dominated the rankings, accounting for over half of the athletes on the list. The global appeal of these sports continues to shine, with football stars like Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. and cricket players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma standing out. Beyond traditional sports, unconventional entries like Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, and David Goggins, a former Marine turned endurance athlete, showcased the growing influence of diverse personal brands in the sports landscape. The battle between Formula 1 legends Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen remained as close online as it is on the track, with Hamilton edging out Verstappen by just 18,000 followers.

Representation in women’s sports also saw a breakthrough, with Angel Reese (#24) and Caitlin Clark (#42) making the top 50. Their inclusion highlights the growing popularity and influence of women’s basketball. Notably, two big names—Travis Kelce and Shohei Ohtani—just missed the list, coming in at #54 and #75, respectively. While athletes from traditional sports dominated, the hypothetical inclusion of a cultural juggernaut like MrBeast would eclipse them all, with his 153 million new followers proving that content creation remains the undisputed king of digital growth.

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