ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 26, 2021) — On Tuesday, SportsPro announced its annual list of the 50 Most Marketable Athletes in the world, with four Orlando Pride players featuring on the list, including three in the Top 10.
With women solely comprising the top three athletes, Orlando Pride captain Ashlyn Harris ranks No. 3 on the list, behind gymnast Simone Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka. Harris is joined in the Top 10 by defender Ali Krieger at No. 7 and forward Alex Morgan at No. 10.
Forward Sydney Leroux rounds out the Pride’s recognitions on the list, coming in at No. 45 overall.
With four total players in the Top 50, the Pride, along with French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain, finish with the most marketable power than any other sports organization on the globe.
“This is a testament to our supremely talented and marketable Pride roster. We are proud of these players and the entire Pride organization, and we believe the future is bright for those who invest in women’s sports,” said Orlando Pride chairman Mark Wilf. “We are excited to continue to work with our players, staff and partners to build Orlando Pride into one of the preeminent sports organizations in the world.”
“This is a tremendous honor and recognition for each of these four players,” added Amanda Duffy, EVP of the Orlando Pride. “The list itself speaks to the growing power of women and women in sport, as well as the opportunities in front of brands and agencies that choose to invest in them. While we’re elated to have four members of the Pride who call Orlando home included on this list, we’re proud of how these players, along with the full Pride roster, use their platforms as a catalyst for change both globally and right here in the Central Florida community.”
Taking a new approach to the list’s methodology, nearly 40% of the 2021 list is made up by women athletes. According to SportsPro, this year’s list focused “less on high follower counts and more on important factors related to who the athletes’ followers actually are” including analyzing each athletes’ follower demographic, weighing that assessment with both engagement rate and spending power.
Further insight on the list’s composition can be found here.
The results of the SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes list is yet another recognition that illustrates the growth and reach of the Orlando Pride, the National Women’s Soccer League and women’s sport as a whole.
Over the last year, the Pride were also honored by Sports Business Journal as the Best in Social Media for its 2020 Pride Stan account and, to start 2021, had a record-setting and highly-touted launch of its Ad Astra kit.
