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To be rated Australia’s most marketable athlete requires much more than mere fame and elite sporting performance.
In this CODE Sports special report we rate the 50 most marketable Australian sportsmen and women looking at why some are a marketers dream, and others a nightmare.
How did we come up with the list?
Each athlete is ranked according to their “Marketability Score” which is generated by three categories: Personal Brand Strength, Audience and reach and Economics.
The scores they receive across these categories are combined to determine a Marketability Score out of 100.
SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT THE TOP 50.
PERSONAL BRAND STRENGTH: carries a maximum score of 40 broken down into four distinct equal scoring components:
(To determine the scores for authenticity, risk factor and overall perception CODE Sports polled a group of sports lovers to rate the athletes on a scale of 1 to 10 in each component.)
Authenticity — does the athlete come across as authentic and genuine.
Risk Factor — do they attract controversy or have the potential to be associated with negative or impactful incidents.
Overall perception — are they perceived in a positive or negative way.
Performance — are they a franchise player in their team or code, a world record breaker, world ranking in top 10, Olympic gold medallist etc.
AUDIENCE AND REACH: carries a maximum score of 30 determined by three distinct equal scoring components:
Social media reach – the number of followers across the athlete’s social media platforms.
Search – average monthly Google search volume in Australia for each athlete.
Relevance – does the athlete compete in a tier one sport globally or in Australia or tier two or three sport.
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ECONOMICS: carries a maximum score of 30 determined by two distinct scoring components:
Market demand – the level of existing corporate partners or personal endorsement deals and sponsorships.
Growth potential – is the athlete at the peak of their career or are they a star of the rise with a big future?
Robert Whittaker
UFC
Brand: 24.1
Reach: 15
Economics: 12
Total: 51.1
Whittaker is a big name in the UFC world although his recent run of defeats has reduced his earning capacity and his status as a headline act. Whittaker does boast an enormous social media following, 1.56m across Instagram and Twitter, plus partnerships with Musashi and UniBet among others.
Ryan Papenhuyzen
NRL
Brand: 27.7
Reach: 14
Economics: 10
Total: 51.7
It must be something about the hair, because even after almost a year on the sidelines with knee injury the mulleted Melbourne Storm fullback remains one of the most searched NRL players on google. With a connection with F45 gyms and Superboost Drinks, Papenhuyzen is proving popular with brands, not just kids.
Xavier Cooks
Basketball
Brand: 27.9
Reach: 11
Economics: 13
Total: 51.9
Set to become Australia’s next NBA player, headed to Washington after leading Sydney Kings to back-to-back NBL titles, Cooks is on the rise. Starred in a Hungry Jacks advertising campaign, he is the biggest name on the domestic basketball scene and any success in the US will elevate his reputation even further.
Latrell Mitchell
NRL
Brand: 26.0
Reach: 17
Economics: 9
Total: 52.0
An Indigenous icon of rugby league, TrellMit - the name he has already trademarked - is quickly becoming a one-man brand. His offseason fracas with Jack Wighton contributed to a risk factor score of 4.7 and cost him up to 10 spots in the overall rankings. But he excels with a strong social following for an NRL player and is gaining cross-sport traction in his partnership with No Limit Boxing.
Isaac Heeney
AFL
Brand: 28.0
Reach: 15
Economics: 9
Total: 52.0
With a superb goal kicking record, a knack for taking screamers and easily spotted white blonde hair, Isaac Heeney is a big piece of the “grow AFL in Sydney” puzzle. The first Swans Academy graduate to receive club life membership, Heeney consistently features on highlight reels and even took out Mark of the Year in 2022 – all this at just 26. A Hunter Valley local, locked in to a rumoured $900k a year contract until 2028, and very comfortable in front of a camera, Heeney could end up being one of the biggest AFL names to ever emerge from NSW.
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