Most Valued Athlete: Indian Women’s Cricket Team opener Smriti Mandhana is now the most valued female athlete in India on social media. With an estimated sponsorship value of $1.9 million as per Sportico and KORE, Mandhana is 9th and only cricketer on the list of Top 10 Global Female Athletes by Sponsorship Value on Social Media. Skier Eileen Gu leads the charts with $4.1 m while tennis legend Serena Williams is 3rd with $3.3 m. Swiss footballer Alisha Lehmann, who plays for West Ham United in WSL, is 2nd with $3.9 m sponsorship value. Follow Women’s Premier League LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Mandhana’s rise in fortune has coincided with her rise in international cricket as well as franchise cricket. While she did have a disappointing season with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural Women’s Premier League, her tie-ups with Nike, Hyundai, Havells, Hero MotoCorp, Red Bull, Gulf Oil and Herbalife have made her one of the most sought-after figures in the advertising world.
As per a report in Mint, Mandhana charges ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore for such deals. She has a net worth of Rs 32, the highest among women cricketers in India.
To determine Most Valued Athletes on social media, KORE measured over 19 million posts across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Weibo, and VK. It measured factors like platform, engagement, positioning and promotional quality of imagery and text.
With over 7.7 million followers on Instagram alone, Smriti has extended her brand power on social media. With a combined follower count of nearly 15 million, she is the only woman cricketer to feature in the list.
The list also features some of the biggest names in the world of women’s sports like the all-time tennis great Serena Williams who have been associated with some of the top brands like Nike, Louis Vuitton, Gatorade, Boss, Tiffany & Co etc.
“Mandhana’s success on social media has helped to raise the profile of women’s cricket in India and around the world. Her strong performances on the field and her engaging personality off the field have made her a role model for young girls aspiring. We expect these numbers to swell even further as we believe it adds more value for the brands that partner with Smriti over the years,” Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Baseline Ventures, said. Baseline Ventures manages Smriti Mandhana.
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Smriti has won several accolades for her performances, including the Arjuna Award in 2019, Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2019 & 2021. Most recently, the Indian Opener also bagged a record contract worth Rs 3.4 Crore at WPL Auctions, making her the highest-paid player in WPL. Her contract is more than Pakistan’s Babar Azam, one of the most popular male cricketers in the world. Follow InsideSport on GOOGLE NEWS / Follow IPL 2023 Live Updates with InsideSport.IN.
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