While getting likes on Instagram won’t always lead to success (Eg. Instagram thots), having one of the biggest social media followings as an athlete is a huge asset for getting endorsements. Sports Illustrated affiliate 120 Sports and social analytics platform MVPindex joined forces to rank athletes on their social media strength.
The ranking is based on things like fans, followers, likes, comments shares, and positive vs negative interaction. They’ve created a list of the top athlete by sports, as well as a top ten list across all sports. Who’s number one? None other than Russell Wilson, who has been the subject of much trolling (which may have helped him here) and benefitted from from his high-profile marriage to Ciara. Soccer star Alex Morgan was the highest ranking woman at #15, narrowly beating out Serena Williams. Check out the full list below. Any surprises?
Top Athletes By Sport
NFL - Russell Wilson
NBA - LeBron James
MLB - Robinson Cano
UFC - Conor McGregor
PGA - Rory McIlroy
US Soccer - Alex Morgan
WTA - Serena Williams
NASCAR - Jeff Gordon
Top 12 Athletes Overall
1. Russell Wilson
2. Odell Beckham Jr.
3. J.J. Watt
4. Rory McIlroy
5. Conor McGregor
6. LeBron James
7. Tiger Woods
8. Richard Sherman
9. Tom Brady
10. Rob Gronkowski
11. Stephen Curry
12. Antonio Brown
[via SportTechie]