Cristiano Ronaldo and Grigor Dimitrov Among the Most Marketable Athletes of 2014
Sport Pro Media has revealed that names of the athletes who made the complete cut in its annual list of the World's Most Marketable Athletes. A total of 13 women and 37 men from different fields of sports made it on the list.
Some of celebrities known already known to have star power and marketability such as Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Bulgarian tennis athlete Grigor Dimitrov were included in the top 20. Ronaldo is at the fourth place while Dimitrov is trailing behind him at the fifth spot. Bouchard and Rousey are in the 13th and 18th positions, respectively.
According to Sports Pro Media, Ronaldo has always been present in the list. Ronaldo is still in his prime and people can expect him to play really good soccer in a handful of major tournaments, which would also equal to more sponsorships and endorsement deals. Euro Sport commentator Goncalo Moreira said that Ronaldo is "the man to endorse" in the sporting world of football.
Dimitrov, on the other hand, is on his way to the top. He had proven that he is more than just Maria Sharapova's boyfriend. Currently, he is in the 12th spot in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world rankings, his all-time career high. "Young, talented, and good looking, and in a globally popular sport looking for a new star to shine long-term, Grigor Dimitrov boasts all the ingredients to become a brand marketer's dream," Sports Pro Media wrote. Dimitrov's 2014 tennis season is going remarkably well. He last competed in the 2014 Italian Open where he reached the semi-finals before losing to top-ranked Rafael Nadal, but has already won two tournaments in Acapulco and Bucharest up-to-date.
Aside from Ronaldo and Dimitrov, other athletes on the list include Lewis Hamilton, who topped the list, Neymar, Canadian tennis athlete Eugenie Bouchard, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Ronda Rousey, Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin, and Canadian professional ice hockey player Steven Stamkos among many others.
For the complete list of 50 Most Marketable Athletes of 2014, click here.
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