Russell Wilson is the “Most Valued” Athlete on Social Media and What That Actually Means

For the second consecutive year, Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson has been named the number one “Most Valued Athletes in Social Media of 2016” in a ranking created in partnership between MVPindex and 120 Sports.

To determine the most valued athletes on social media this year, Chicago-based digital sports network 120 Sports collaborated with industry-leading social measurement and valuation platform MVP index to rank athletes using a proprietary algorithm that evaluates all of their social activity throughout the past year. The ranking combines three separate scores: Reach (fans, followers, impressions), Engagement (likes, comments, shares, retweets, favorites) and Conversation (positive/negative mentions).

The National Football League dominated the 2016 ranking with 9 players in the Top 25. The NBA followed with five of the Top 25 athletes. Wilson claimed the top spot for the second straight year with an overall ranking of 0.983, remaining at the center of the social spotlight this year not only for his athletic performance, but also for his recent marriage to singer Ciara.

“We produce and deliver sports content based on whatever is the hottest story as indicated by what is trending on social media and what sports fans are talking about on social platforms,” said Jason Coyle, president of 120 Sports. “MVPindex helps us to quantify the commanding voices and influencers on social media from the past year so we can continue to relate with our fans by showcasing the athletes that matter most to them.”

New York Giants WR Odell Beckham and the Houston Texans’ JJ Watt rounded out the top three. The most impressive climbs on the 2016 index included MMA fighter Conor McGregor who jumped an impressive 33 spots from last year’s index to claim the No. 5 spot in 2016. In addition, Cam Newton (No. 16), Stephen Curry (No. 11) and Antonio Brown (No. 12) all made notable double-digit climbs up from 2015.

So what does this really mean in terms of value? I asked Ryan Berger, Partner at HYPR Brands, an influencer marketing technology that monetizes social media value.

“The value is very much based on what you need as a brand. It’s very difficult to have these rankings as individuals are influential in different areas and categories, not across the board,” Berger says. “The rankings provide bargaining power and the opportunity to charge more. By being ranked on a list, brands think you are an expert, and look more to you. While this list takes into account very important things like reach, engagement, and mentions, what it doesn’t provide is audience data, something we at HYPR specialize in.”

Here’s The Top 25 list 
Russell Wilson (NFL)
Odell Beckham Jr. (NFL)
J.J. Watt (NFL)
Rory McIlroy (PGA TOUR)
Conor McGregor (UFC)
LeBron James (NBA)
Tiger Woods (PGA TOUR)
Richard Sherman (NFL)
Tom Brady (NFL)
Rob Gronkowski (NFL)
Stephen Curry (NBA)
Antonio Brown (NFL)
Jeremy Lin (NBA)
Robinson Cano (MLB)
Alex Morgan (US Soccer)
Serena Williams (WTA)
Cam Newton (NFL)
Ronda Rousey (UFC)
Mike Trout (MLB)
Jeff Gordon (NASCAR)
Kevin Durant (NBA)
Hope Solo (US Soccer)
Dwayne Wade (NBA)
Dez Bryant (NFL)
Kerri Walsh Jennings (AVP)