Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · October 22, 2025 · Entertainment

Lewis Hamilton Dethrones Simone Biles: Meet the World's Most Marketable Athlete in 2025!

Simone Biles has been named the second most marketable athlete on the planet in a new study

The Ultimate List of Marketable Athletes is Out, and You Won't Believe Who Made the Cut!

The study, conducted by SportsPro and NorthStar Solutions Group, assessed over 1,000 top athletes from around the globe using a whopping 174 different sports categories. And let's just say it was a wild ride! The researchers looked at brand strength, audience momentum, and commercial traction to determine who would reign supreme.

Biles, who was crowned the most marketable athlete in last year's list following her incredible Olympic triumphs, had to settle for second place this time around with a marketability score of 95.2%. Meanwhile, Hamilton took top spot with an impressive 96.03% - talk about a comeback!

Rugby sensation Ilona Maher is ranked third on the list, which was put together by SportsPro

But what's even more interesting is who made the cut into the top 10. Women's rugby sensation Ilona Maher came in third place with a score of 92.13%, following her bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics alongside Team USA sevens. And don't worry, basketball and soccer fans - your favorite stars didn't disappoint either! Stephen Curry (88.8%) and Cristiano Ronaldo (88.17%) took fifth and fourth places respectively.

However, not all athletes were as fortunate. The only NFL player to make it into the top 50 was none other than Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, who somehow managed to rank a mere 50th with his high-profile engagement to pop queen Taylor Swift (yes, that's right!). And let's just say he's got some serious competition from other top athletes.

WNBA stars dominated the rankings, with five players making it into the top 50 - including WNBA phenomenon Caitlin Clark (84.7%). Basketball legend LeBron James (84.63%) and soccer great Neymar (84.7%) also made the cut, but what's really interesting is who didn't make the list. For instance, English soccer sensation Cole Palmer, who celebrated his Club World Cup win alongside President Donald Trump, somehow failed to crack the top 50.

But it is Formula One icon Lewis Hamilton who takes top spot after his recent move to Ferrari

Now, we know what you're thinking: "What about Lionel Messi and Novak Djokovic?" Well, it turns out they only ranked 15th and 16th respectively - behind Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal (12th). But don't worry, tennis fans; Coco Gauff came in at a respectable 23rd spot with her impressive Grand Slam wins.

In other surprising news, boxing's top women's champion Amanda Serrano came in at No. 52, while baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani made his debut in the rankings at an impressive No. 56 - just two years after signing that record-breaking $700million contract!

Golf's Rory McIlroy and MMA fighter Ilia Topuria rounded out the top 100 with their respective rankings of 62nd and 65th. But don't worry, guys; you've still got plenty of time to get back in the game.

Travis Kelce is only ranked the 50th on the list despite his engagement to Taylor Swift

Here are the full rankings:

Top 10:

  1. Lewis Hamilton (96.03%)
  2. Simone Biles (95.2%)
  3. Ilona Maher (92.13%)
  4. Cristiano Ronaldo (88.17%)
  5. Stephen Curry (88.8%)

The Top 50:

  • WNBA stars: Caitlin Clark (84.7%), A'ja Wilson (83.63%), Breanna Stewart (83.23%), Sue Bird (82.93%), and Brittney Griner (82.53%)
  • Basketball legends: LeBron James (84.63%), Giannis Antetokounmpo (83.63%)
  • Soccer greats: Neymar (84.7%), Cristiano Ronaldo (88.17%)

The Rest of the Pack:

  • NFL stars: Travis Kelce (50th), Patrick Mahomes (82nd), Lamar Jackson (88th)
  • Tennis superstars: Coco Gauff (23rd), Novak Djokovic (16th), Rafael Nadal (25th)
  • Baseball sensations: Shohei Ohtani (56th)
  • Golf legends: Rory McIlroy (62nd)