The 10 Most Marketable Athletes of 2016

As we mentioned in our Best Sports Moments of 2016 list, it’s been a monumental year for the world of sports. Unfortunately however, we had to say goodbye to many greats, both on and off the field, including Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Michael Phelps, and Tim Duncan. Even though they left their respective game, some of these retired players still made the list for the most marketable athletes of 2016.

Forbes turned to Nielsen for some help, using its proprietary “N-Score” rating system to measure marketability based on awareness, likability and 10 other attributes, including “influential,” “trendsetter,” and “stylish.” Ranking in at the number one spot is Peyton Manning, who retired shortly after winning a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos earlier this year. “Manning’s N-Score ranked No. 75 overall out of nearly 4,000 celebs. His awareness level ranked in the top 2% of all celebrities, while his likability is in the top 7%.” With that said, be prepared to see more of those Manning x Nationwide commercial spots for at least a few more years.

A pair of Olympians, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles, as well as Serena Williams and LeBron James round out the top five. See the full list and accompanying N-Scores below.

Rank — Athlete — N-Score — Overall N-Score Rank*
1 — Peyton Manning — 88 — 75
2 — Michael Phelps — 88 — 76
3 — Simone Biles — 87 — 84
4 — Serena Williams — 80 — 281
5 — LeBron James — 76 – 435
6 — Venus Williams — 76 — 434
7 — Eli Manning — 75 — 482
8 — Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — 74 — 531
9 — Danica Patrick — 74 — 528
10 — Tom Brady – 69 — 842
*Overall N-Score is from a universe of more than 3,800 celebrities. Source: Nielsen.