NEW YORK, Oct 9: Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni continues to remain the lone Indian to figure on Forbes’ list of the world’s most valuable athletes, a list that has been topped by American basketball player LeBron James and includes golfer Tiger Woods and tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Dhoni is ranked fifth with a brand value of 20 million dollar in 2014, slightly down from 21 million dollar last year.
Forbes said Dhoni signed bat sponsorship deals with Spartan Sports and Amity University in late 2013, reportedly worth a combined 4 million dollar annually, up from the 1 million dollar Reebok was paying previously.
Forbes’s Most Valuable Athlete Brands in Sports lists 10 athletes whose endorsement income exceeded the endorsement income earned by their peers by the largest amount during the past year. James tops the list with a brand value of 37 million dollar in 2014.
The NBA’s biggest marketing star pulled in a total of 53 million dollar from endorsers like Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Upper Deck.
The publication said for the first time since 2007, the top athlete brand is not Woods but James, who will be rejoining the Cleveland Cavaliers after fours season and two National Basketball Association (NBA) titles with the Miami Heat.
James pulled in 53 million dollar off the court during the past year and his brand is worth 37 million dollar, which is the amount his endorsement and non-basketball earnings exceeded the average top 10 off the court earners in the NBA. Woods is ranked second and has a 2014 brand value of 36 million dollar.
Woods’ earnings took a hit after Electronic Arts announced in 2013 that it would end its relationship with him and his eponymous video game after 14 versions. On the third spot is Federer, whose brand value in 2014 is 32 million dollar. (AGENCY)
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