re: Who do you think is the more famous sports star nationally?

ODB #31 Most Marketable Athelte 2015

AD not on the list

CRITERIA
Athletes from across the world have been ranked according to their marketing potential over a three-year period from this summer.

Value for money
Age
Home market
Charisma
Willingness to be marketed
Crossover appeal

American, 22, Football
Record-breaking NFL sensation looking to make a famous name his own

Representatives: Encore Sports, Zeke Sandhu
Key partners: Nike, Trojan
2014 ranking: New entry

With a standout first season under his belt in the National Football League (NFL), New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr looks keen on making that world-famous name his own.

Chosen as the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Beckham saw his international fame skyrocket when he took ‘the catch’ in a game against Dallas Cowboys, which was later voted NFL play of the year. Showing he’s not afraid of a marketing stunt, Beckham followed that up with a Visa promo which saw him set a Guinness World Record for the number of one-handed catches in a minute – 33.

After taking 91 catches, receiving for 1,305 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns in 12 games in his record-breaking rookie season, Beckham received marketing and endorsement offers from ‘most of the major companies associated with the NFL and its players’, according to Jordan Raanan of the Newark Star-Ledger. Improving upon this next season will be no easy feat. But Beckham doesn’t appear the type to shy away from the limelight. MK