New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been named the athlete with the hottest brand under the age of 25 in the CHARGE 25 Under 25 Index, which was released today.
The CHARGE 25 Under 25 Index, created by national sports marketing agency CHARGE, ranked the top 25 athletes under the age of 25 based on their brand energy, which includes social media following, social media engagement, search results and news stories.
The index, which included only athletes who primarily play in the United States, looked at 245 athletes, including 203 men and 42 women, from 22 sports
“It’s easy to say an athlete brand is hot for one reason or another, but what’s that based on?” CHARGE Director of Brand Strategy Jesse Ghiorzi said. “Beforehand, we saw anecdotal trends on who had the hottest brand, but having the data to back it up adds objectivity and legitimacy to the claim. We were thrilled to see a wide variety of sports and markets represented on the list.”
With 8.6 million Instagram followers, 2.5 million Twitter followers and 1.4 million Facebook likes, Beckham, 24, dominated the results based on his strong overall presence on social media.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, 21, fresh off a breakout rookie NFL season, is ranked second in the index. Like Beckham, Elliott’s strong social media presence and overall popularity in search results and news stories helped boost him near the top of the index.
The CHARGE 25 Under 25 also included three women. Gymnast Simone Biles, 20, still riding high brand energy from the Olympics, came in at No. 11, LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson, 22, ranked No. 18 and mixed martial artist Paige VanZant, 23, was No. 19.
The index featured a diverse list of athletes from various sports, with the top five spots going to four different sports. In addition to Beckham and Elliott, the top five was rounded out by Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, 24, recently drafted Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, 19, and NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, 24.
Overall, athletes from nine sports were represented in the top 25 with basketball players taking 11 spots. The index also included skateboarder Nyjah Huston, 22, who is ranked No. 17, and motocross racer Ken Roczen, 23, ranked No. 25.
To learn more about the CHARGE 25 Under 25 Index, click here.
CHARGE 25 UNDER 25 INDEX
(Rank, name, sport (team), CHARGE Index score)
1, Odell Beckham Jr., Football (New York Giants), 20.35.
2, Ezekiel Elliott, Football (Dallas Cowboys), 35.85.
3, Bryce Harper, Baseball (Washington Nationals), 38.40.
4, Lonzo Ball, Basketball (Los Angeles Lakers), 38.50.
5, Kyle Larson, NASCAR (Chip Ganassi Racing), 38.80.
6, Anthony Davis, Basketball (New Orleans Pelicans), 38.85.
7, Markelle Fultz, Basketball (Philadelphia 76ers), 38.95.
8, Chase Elliot, NASCAR (Hendrick Motorsports), 40.60.
9, Kristaps Porzingis, Basketball (New York Knicks), 40.95.
10, Bradley Beal, Basketball (Washington Wizards), 42.30.
11, Simone Biles, Gymnastics (Team USA), 42.50.
12, Jordan Spieth, Golf (PGA Tour), 43.10.
13, Leonard Fournette, Football (Jacksonville Jaguars), 44.05.
14, Devin Booker, Basketball (Phoenix Suns), 45.10.
15, Deshaun Watson, Football (Houston Texans), 45.75.
16, Jayson Tatum, Basketball (Boston Celtics), 47.95.
17, Nyjah Huston, Skateboarding, 48.15.
18, Lexi Thompson, Golf (LPGA Tour), 48.30.
19, Paige VanZant, Mixed Martial Arts, 48.45.
20, Andre Drummond, Basketball (Detroit Pistons), 50.60.
21, Tobias Harris, Basketball (Detroit Pistons), 50.75.
22, Dak Prescott, Football (Dallas Cowboys), 50.85.
23, Zach LaVine, Basketball (Chicago Bulls), 51.85.
24, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Basketball (Milwaukee Bucks), 52.35.
25, Ken Roczen, Motocross (Honda HRC), 53.00.
CHARGE PR
