Tennis giant, Roger Federer has been named world’s most marketable sports person in 2016. The Sports Marketing Power list was compiled by researchers at the London School of Marketing and they took into account sponsorship deals of athletes in the year 2016.
Speaking on why Federer claimed the top spot, Jacques de Cock, faculty member at London School of Marketing said:
“Despite Roger Federer’s slow year in terms of success in his sport, his successful endorsement deals show that personal characteristics can also be an important part of long-lasting sponsorships.”
The top 30 list
| Rank | Name | Sport | Earnings (in £ million) |
| 1 | Roger Federer | Tennis | 49.2 |
| 2 | Lebron James | Basketball | 44.3 |
| 3 | Phl Mickleson | Golf | 41 |
| 4 | Tiger Woods | Golf | 36 |
| 5 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | 29.5 |
| 6 | Rory Mcilroy | Golf | 28.7 |
| 7 | Novak Djokovic | Tennis | 27.9 |
| 8 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | 26.2 |
| 8 | Jordan Spieth | Golf | 26.2 |
| 8 | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | 26.2 |
| 11 | Lionel Messi | Football | 23 |
| 12 | MS Dhoni | Cricket | 22.1 |
| 13 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | 20.5 |
| 14 | Neymar Jr. | Football | 18.9 |
| 15 | Kei Nishikori | Tennis | 16.4 |
| 15 | Usain Bolt | Athletics | 16.4 |
| 15 | Serena Williams | Tennis | 16.4 |
| 15 | Maria Sharapova | Tennis | 16.4 |
| 19 | Virat Kohli | Cricket | 14.8 |
| 20 | James Harden | Basketball | 13.9 |
| 21 | Peyton Manning | American football | 12.3 |
| 21 | Andy Murray | Tennis | 12.3 |
| 23 | Derrick Rose | Basketball | 11.5 |
| 24 | Cam Newton | American football | 9.8 |
| 24 | Floyd Mayweather | Boxing | 9.8 |
| 24 | Dwayne Wade | Basketball | 9.8 |
| 24 | Drew Brees | American football | 9.8 |
| 24 | Steph Curry | Basketball | 9.8 |
| 29 | Gareth Bale | Football | 9 |
| 29 | Kyle Irving | Baskettball |