Anthony Joshua tops list of world's most marketable athletes
The IBF and WBA world heavyweight champion displaced the Steph Curry at the summit
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Your support makes all the difference.Anthony Joshua has been named as the world’s most marketable athlete by the sports industry magazine SportsPro.
The IBF and WBA world heavyweight champion displaced the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry at the summit, with Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in third.
Joshua’s ascent comes after the highlight of his young career to date, a thrilling and successful title defence against Wladimir Klitschko in front of a crowd of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in April.
The 27-year-old, who has lucrative commercial partnerships with the likes of Beats Electronics and sportswear brand Under Armour, is now in line to become heavyweight boxing’s first bona fide global star since Mike Tyson’s emergence in the 1980s.
SportsPro’s rankings identify athletes with the greatest marketing potential over the next three years by taking into account factors such as their age, crossover appeal and willingness to be marketed.
This year’s list therefore omits the likes of Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were each considered to have reached their commercial peaks after years at the pinnacle of world sport.
Despite Messi and Ronaldo’s absence, football is well represented, with Pogba, Barcelona forward Neymar and Chelsea winger Eden Hazard all present.
The Tottenham Hotspur pair of Dele Alli and Harry Kane are also named in SportsPro’s top 20, ranking 13th and 20th respectively.
A total of 14 female athletes are named in the list's top 50, one fewer than in the 2016 edition. Simone Biles, the United States gymnast, is highest-ranking woman in 8th.
There are six British athletes in total, with Joshua, Alli and Kane joined by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, England cricketer Ben Stokes and Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy.
Conor McGregor, the Irish two-weight UFC title holder, rises from 11th to 4th following the announcement of his super-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas on 26 August.
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