Infographic – Top 50 Female Athletes in Sport Sponsorships: First Half 2019

Presenting the Top 50 Women in Sports Based on Social Interactions

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup behind us, the spotlights have faded and the equipment has been tucked away, but the focus on women in the world of sports has stayed strong.

From the beginning of 2019 through to the end of July, we at Hookit have scoured over the numbers and compiled a list of the most popular female athletes on social media by social engagement.

The infographic below shows our top 50 women in the world of sports, from the impressive global football player Alex Morgan coming in at #1, to drag racing star Leah Pritchett at #50. There were nearly 185 million social interactions (defined as likes, comments, and shares) between all fifty of them.

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Top 10 – Social Media Interactions

Let’s zoom in and take a closer look into the top ten rock stars that grace the sports world. #1 on this list is Alex Morgan, and the list is rounded out by a woman that rules the ring, Claudia Gadelha at #10.

The range of sports these athletes come from is really impressive.., from global football to mountain biking, they are reaching all types of diverse audiences.

#1 Alex Morgan

Sport: Global Football
Team(s): US Women’s National Soccer Team & Orlando Pride
Social Interactions: 42,261,595
PE Score: 75
Top Brands Promoted: Nike, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Secret (P&G)
Instagram Profile: @alexmorgan13

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#2 Megan Rapinoe

Sport: Global Football
Team(s): US Women’s National Soccer Team & Reign FC

Social Interactions: 12,915,836
PE Score: 76
Top Brands Promoted: Nike, Samsung, DJO Global
Instagram Profile: @mrapinoe

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#3 Lindsey Vonn

Sport: Alpine Skiing (retired Feb 2019)
Team(s): US Ski Team
Social Interactions: 10,439,047
PE Score: 79
Top Brands Promoted: Red Bull, Rolex, Oakley, Under Armour
Instagram Profile: @lindseyvonn

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#4 Letícia Bufoni

Sport: Skate 
Team(s): N/A
Social Interactions: 10,113,239
PE Score: 79

Top Brands Promoted: Nike, Red Bull, GoPro
Instagram Profile: @leticiabufoni

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#5 Maria Sharapova

Sport: Tennis
Team(s): WTA
Social Interactions: 9,255,163
PE Score: 81
Top Brands Promoted: Sugarpova, Nike, Porsche
Instagram Profile: @mariasharapova

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#6 Bethany Hamilton

Sport: Surf
Team(s): N/A
Social Interactions: 7,970,785
PE Score: 80
Top Brands Promoted: Rip Curl, Cobian, GoPro
Instagram Profile: @bethanyhamilton

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#7 Laurie Hernandez

Sport: Gymnastics
Team(s): US Women’s Gymnastics Team
Social Interactions: 4,923,892
PE Score: 76
Top Brands Promoted: Coca-Cola, Toyota
Instagram Profile: @lauriehernandez

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#8 Maia Shibutani

Sport: Figure Skating
Club(s): SC of New York
Social Interactions: 4,080,565
PE Score: 80
Top Brands Promoted: Ralph Lauren, Fenty Beauty
Instagram Profile: @maiashibutani

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#9 Kate Courtney

Sport: Mountain Bike
Team(s): Scott-SRAM MTB
Social Interactions: 3,978,248
PE Score: 80
Top Brands Promoted: Scott Sports, Red Bull, Oakley, WHOOP, CamelBak
Instagram Profile: @kateplusfate

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#10 Claudia Gadelha

Sport: Mixed Martial Arts
Team(s): UFC
Social Interactions: 3,794,732
PE Score: 62
Instagram Profile: @claudiagadelha

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Top 10 – Promotional Effectiveness Score

The buzz thus far has been on the number of social interactions these women have had, but there’s a number that is really important to those that sponsor these amazing athletes.

That number is their Promotional Effectiveness score. This is a score from 0 to 100 that Hookit had pioneered as a grading system on how effective these athletes are at promoting a brand. This helps would-be sponsors gauge how great these athletes are at promoting a product or service.

Here are the top ten female athletes who did the best at promoting their sponsor during a specific time period.

Who Didn’t Make the List? Hookit’s Honorable Mentions

We’d like to note some that you might not have seen of the most recognizable athletes on this list. Some of this omission has to do with the data we’re able to access because of the social networks regulations. However, it’s worth noting, these athletes are also doing amazing work with their social accounts that help propel their brand partners message and continue to blaze trails in their respective sport and beyond.

• Serena Williams, Tennis
• Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Mixed Martial Arts
• Naomi Osaka, Tennis
• Sydney Leroux, Global Football
• Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Skiing
• Simone Biles, Gymnastics
• Simona Halep, Tennis

These athletes, along with the other members of the top 50, continue to show the power of sports to inspire and promote the positive. That is what brands look for in sponsorship and these women are stellar ambassadors for brands who choose to partner with them now and in the future.

Wrap Up

Over the decades, women have continued to make their mark in sports. They really connect with their fans and are very effective at promoting their brand sponsors. Hookit helps both athletes and brands see the full value of their sponsorships by providing near real-time data and insights to help make smart and decisive decisions to improve ROI. If you would like to see how Hookit can work for you, request a demo or contact us for more information.