A while back, when I was writing about Influencer Athletes, I decided to flip the script and actually bring my audience into the process. Instead of just quoting scholars or dropping my own hot takes, I ran a fan survey—asking fans directly what they think about marketable athletes, their role in sports, sports marketing, and the wider sports ecosystem.
To my surprise, 457 people from the US and Europe jumped in. That’s not a small number. And what I got back wasn’t just surface-level noise—it was a real look into how fans actually perceive sports today.
For this article, I’m zeroing in on three of the questions that cut right to the core of the conversation:
- If an athlete wins but doesn’t have a compelling story or style, it limits their brand value.
- Marketable athletes (flashy players) create more cultural impact than consistent, quiet stars.
- Marketable athletes matter more than being statistically dominant in today’s sports ecosystem.
Now, let’s break each one down—look at the survey results, and then pull in some real-world cases to see what’s the answer to this provocative claim for sports managers: would you rather have your team win a championship, or sign a superstar who sells out arenas but might not deliver a title?
Side note: of course, there are marketable athletes who back it up with results—but those are the rare ones, the GOAT-level players. And let’s be real, they don’t come around too often. So, let’s dive into the reality of owners and managers, who don’t get their hands on players like Jordan, LeBron, Messi or Ronaldo.
If this topic interests you, check an article about hypegenic athletes, which covers this topic from a more academic angle and looks at how to create sports hype. Also make sure to check our other article based on fan survey about what drives the most popular sports in the world.
Story and Style of Marketable Athletes over Winning for Brand Value
More than half of surveyed fans agreed with the statement that “If an athlete wins but doesn’t have a compelling story or style, it limits their athlete’s brand value.”
In our poll of 457 people, about 51% concurred (31.1% agree + 20% strongly agree) that being a champion isn’t enough for marketability if the athlete is bland. Only roughly 20% disagreed, while the rest were neutral. This tells us that fans notice how an athlete wins as much as the fact that they win. A great record alone can feel insufficient if there’s no personality, narrative, or flair to connect with.
If we dive into real-life examples, Tim Duncan is a classic case: a five-time NBA champion with a quiet persona often deemed as “most boring player in the NBA” (Friel, 2018). Despite his success, Duncan’s endorsement earnings paled in comparison to flashier peers. In the 2011–12 season, Duncan made just $2 million in endorsements, while LeBron James – a superstar with both talent and a vibrant public image – made $40 million in endorsements during that same year (Gaines, 2016).
The contrast highlights how a compelling style or story can translate into brand dollars. Duncan’s reserved approach and small-market team kept him out of commercials and pop culture, whereas more charismatic players became marketing darlings.
Fans also love a narrative. Think of Jeremy Lin’s “Linsanity” — this wasn’t just a hot streak, it was a story: Harvard grad, undrafted, scrappy underdog who exploded into NBA superstardom and crossed many cultural lines. As Chen (2016) showed, Linsanity boosted attention toward the NBA in Taiwan significantly — people weren’t just watching games, they were buying into a narrative.
More broadly, sports scholars argue that storytelling + social media have become inseparable in building athlete branding (Li et al., 2021). From women athletes crafting their identity on Instagram Stories to global fan discussion around “underdog” arcs, narrative shapes perception and value beyond win-loss margins.
In today’s media landscape, a well-crafted personal brand can sometimes trump a championship ring (at least temporarily) when it comes to visibility, endorsements, and fan loyalty — because stories connect, and stories sell. If you’ve ever felt more hype for a player’s journey than a stat line, you’re not alone.
The survey result basically says: Winning is great, but winning with style is better for business. Owners and marketers should note that an athlete who electrifies audiences (through celebrations, fashion, social media presence, or a rags-to-riches backstory) unlocks a level of fan investment that stats alone can’t achieve.
This might mean that a flamboyant dunk or a signature pose can sometimes do more for an athlete’s brand than an MVP award. It’s not entirely fair – but it’s how many fans feel.
Cultural Impact of Marketable Athletes
An even stronger consensus emerged on the cultural influence of flashy stars. Over 62% of fans agreed that “Marketable athletes (flashy players) create more cultural impact than consistent, quiet stars.” Only about 9% disagreed outright.
In other words, nearly two-thirds of respondents see the hypegenic, highlight-reel athletes as moving the cultural needle more than the workmanlike performers. Consistency and humility may be respected, but they often don’t transcend sports in the way charismatic figures do.
It’s hard to argue against this when we consider examples. Allen Iverson is a prime case of a culturally impactful athlete who was never a champion but became an icon. Iverson’s flair – the braids, tattoos, arm sleeve, and fearless style – influenced fashion and attitude across basketball courts globally (Haywood, 2024).
He brought hip-hop culture into the NBA’s mainstream, forcing even the league’s dress code to adapt (much to then-Commissioner David Stern’s chagrin) (Haywood, 2024). Iverson’s cultural impact was so profound that he drove merchandise sales and inspired a generation, despite being a “quiet star” in terms of championships.
Similarly, in world football, consider Ronaldinho. His trophy count was good but not the absolute highest of his era – yet his playful style and joy on the pitch made him a sports icon. He literally “broke the internet” with a 2005 Nike crossbar challenge video, which became the first YouTube video to reach 1 million views (Lawless, 2023). That kind of viral fame wasn’t because he won a Champions League (though he did); it was because his flair captured people’s imagination.
Fans tried his tricks in playgrounds, copied his toothy grin and shaka hand celebration, and watched that video on repeat. Ronaldinho’s cultural footprint – from influencing streetwear to inspiring kids to play with creativity – endures to this day in a way few “consistent, quiet” players have managed.
The fans in our survey recognize this reality. Culturally, sports heroes are often the ones who break the mold, not just rack up wins. They’re the cover athletes in video games, the ones appearing in movies or music videos, the ones kids emulate on the playground. Consistent and reliable players are the backbone of teams, but the flashy stars become folk heroes and influencers.
Sports managers, therefore, face a strategic choice: a roster of steady performers might win games, but a single electrifying persona can win hearts and news headlines, which in turn brings in fans and revenue beyond the box score.
Marketable Athletes Matter More in Today’s Sports Ecosystem
More than half of the fans (about 55%) agreed that “Marketable athletes matter more than being statistically dominant in today’s sports landscape.” This is a provocative idea: that in 2025, a team or league might value an athlete’s draw and brand above their pure on-field output. Only roughly 13% disagreed with this statement, while the rest were on the fence.
This result suggests a significant shift in how success is defined in sports. It’s not that stats and wins don’t matter (they do!), but many fans suspect that marketing power often carries equal weight in the decisions teams make and the way sports are packaged.
We can see why this sentiment exists. “The large revenue in sports is driven by the same factors as in the entertainment industries”—fan interest and the impact of stars on consumers, which enhances their attractiveness to sponsors (Quirk & Fort, 2018).
Team owners are effectively in the business of selling a product – and star power sells. There’s ample evidence that certain players single-handedly boost ticket sales and TV ratings even if they aren’t leading the league in stats. For example, economist studies of the NBA have quantified that superstars create a measurable “attendance externality” – Michael Jordan, for instance, added over 5,000 extra fans to each game during his prime (Humphreys & Johnson, 2017).
Those fans came to see Mike, not just fundamentally sound basketball. Likewise, a research study on the impact of David Beckham in Major League Soccer showed that his mere presence in the league (even when injured or on loan) drove attendance up by over 3,000 per game and vastly increased MLS’s visibility (Lamport-Stokes, 2015). Owners took note: as Metcalfe (2013) put it, some owners build teams to win championships, but others “import star power” because it reliably raises attendance and revenue .
In today’s ecosystem, social media amplifies the reach of marketable athletes exponentially. A charismatic athlete with millions of followers can bring global sponsorships and new audiences to a team overnight. Consider the case of Nick Kyrgios in tennis – he’s never won a Grand Slam, but his “bad boy” persona and showmanship make him one of the biggest draws on tour.
Kyrgios openly says, “when I do play, they definitely tune in. All my matches are packed out… there’s full hype around it.” (Mirza, 2021). He’s comfortable with the fact that he might not be the next Federer, because he knows he offers something different: spectacle and personality that fill the seats and get people talking.
In a similar vein, when aging superstar Cristiano Ronaldo moved to a Saudi club, the team’s Instagram following exploded from under 1 million to over 10 million followers within days (Wright, 2023). That social media clout can translate into sponsorship deals, international TV rights, and merchandise sales in ways no mere statistical achievement for the club ever could.
All of this aligns with what sports business insiders acknowledge: superstars are good for the bottom line. One front-office adage goes, “Stars put butts in seats.” The data back it up — whether it’s box office numbers, jersey sales, or global expansion of a league’s fanbase, marketable athletes are engines of growth. It’s telling that even in salary-capped leagues, teams find ways to pay and accommodate big-name players past their prime, essentially because their brand value remains high.
None of this is to say that winning doesn’t matter – of course it does. But fans and owners alike are recognizing that winning is a piece of a larger puzzle. In the modern sports ecosystem, an athlete’s value is a mosaic of performance, charisma, marketability, and narrative.
The survey indicates a bit of cynicism as well: fans suspect that if you have a “statistically dominant but dull” player versus a “pretty good but electrifying” player, many teams today would choose the latter for the spotlight and revenue it brings. And in truth, they often do.
Cases Analysis
To ground these insights, let’s look at a few cases where the balance between on-field success and marketability played out in real life. These examples illustrate how sports organizations sometimes prioritize flash, hype, and commercial appeal — and how it can pay off (or backfire).
Beckham and LA Galaxy
One of the most famous examples of signing star power over pure sporting value was David Beckham’s move to the LA Galaxy in 2007. The Galaxy didn’t bring Beckham in just to win an MLS Cup (though he eventually did); he was brought in to put MLS on the map. And by many accounts, it worked. Beckham’s arrival boosted league attendance and visibility in a way no statistic-only player could. During the “Beckham era” (2007–2012), average MLS attendance grew by over 3,000 fans, and the Galaxy’s profile went from local to international (Lamport-Stokes, 2015).
Beckham was a global celebrity and one of the most marketable athletes at that time — he and his Spice Girl wife were in tabloids and talk shows, bringing Hollywood glam to American soccer . As USC sports media director Daniel Durbin noted, “Beckham was brought in to bring sex appeal to a Los Angeles team sorely in need of a star… You can’t get much more Hollywood than that.” (Lamport-Stokes, 2015).
Crucially, Beckham’s impact was off-field as much as on-field. In his first years, the Galaxy didn’t immediately dominate (and Beckham even missed games on loan to AC Milan), but his jerseys sold out and sponsorships rolled in. By 2012, Beckham had helped Galaxy win titles, but perhaps more importantly, he had made the league far more relevant. “The level of awareness he has brought has been priceless for us,” said Galaxy legend Landon Donovan of Beckham’s influence (Lamport-Stokes, 2015).
The “Beckham Effect” even prompted other teams to invest in star players and soccer-specific stadiums, accelerating MLS’s growth . In short, signing Beckham was less about his assist tally and more about importing a walking brand. It was a calculated trade-off: the Galaxy bet that sacrificing some short-term flexibility for a 32-year-old midfielder was worth the global spotlight he’d shine on the franchise. The bet paid off in spades in terms of franchise value, fanbase growth, and cultural relevance of soccer in the U.S.
Iverson and Nuggets
When the Denver Nuggets traded for, one of the most marketable athletes ever, Allen Iverson in December 2006, it was a move that blended basketball need with sports marketing buzz. On paper, Denver acquired Iverson to bolster a playoff run alongside Carmelo Anthony. But the front office must have known they were also getting one of the most popular and intriguing players in the game. Iverson was an 11-time All-Star and former MVP, but beyond the stats, he was “The Answer” — a cultural icon (as discussed earlier) with a massive fan following.
The immediate aftermath of the trade showed Iverson’s market power. The Nuggets sold 340 season tickets within 30 minutes of announcing the deal (“Garnett Was Hoping to Get Iverson – Los Angeles Times,” 2006). The NBA Store in New York rushed to start selling Iverson’s new #3 Denver jersey before he had even played a game for the Nuggets, knowing the demand would be sky-high. Indeed, Iverson’s Sixers jersey had been one of the league’s top sellers, and now Nuggets merch was flying off shelves.
Denver did improve on the court (Iverson averaged over 24 points in his Denver stint), but they didn’t win a championship with him. They exited in early playoff rounds.
However, from a business perspective, the Iverson era was still a win for Denver. The team’s home attendance and local TV ratings received a jolt thanks to his presence. As an AP report quipped at the time, “Even if the Nuggets end up losers on the court, the Iverson trade made them winners at the ticket office.” (“Garnett Was Hoping to Get Iverson – Los Angeles Times,” 2006). Fans, including many who might not have cared about the Denver Nuggets before, tuned in and packed the arena to watch Iverson’s crossover and fearless drives.
This case shows a team embracing a star’s drawing power. Iverson’s persona was the opposite of the traditional Colorado image – he brought East Coast street flair to the Rockies. For the Nuggets, that meant national TV games and a buzz around the team that hadn’t been there.
Interestingly, after a couple of years, Denver swapped Iverson for Chauncey Billups – a more low-key, steady leader, who does not fall under marketable athletes category – and then made a deep playoff run. It underscores the difference: Billups brought wins, but Iverson initially brought attention. Depending on an owner’s priorities, both moves had merit. Denver tried the “marketable star” route, then the “winning chemistry” route. The survey suggests many fans understand why teams make the former choice, even if it doesn’t immediately result in a Larry O’Brien trophy.
Recent Examples
Messi and Inter Miami
In global soccer, we’ve recently seen extraordinary examples of teams signing players largely for their star appeal. A standout is Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami in 2023. Messi is arguably the GOAT and a marketing phenom, so he blurs the line – but consider Inter Miami’s situation. Before Messi, Miami was a last-place MLS team struggling for relevance; after signing him, they became a household name worldwide overnight.
The “Messi Effect” was tangible: ticket prices for his first game spiked by over 1,000% on the resale market , and the club’s Instagram following ballooned from 1 million to over 7 million, surpassing every NFL, MLB, and NHL team in the process (Soaring Ticket Prices and a Social Media Boom, the Messi Effect on US Soccer, 2023).
Suddenly, celebrities were attending Miami games, and sponsors were lining up. Yes, Messi delivered on the field by winning Leagues Cup games, but even if he hadn’t, the sheer boost in the club’s profile, merchandise sales, and global media coverage more than justified his mega-deal. It’s telling that part of Messi’s contract includes profit-sharing from new subscriptions to the league’s streaming service – meaning his marketability was explicitly tied to revenue streams (a recognition that he’s as much an entertainer as an athlete).
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr
Another example is the Saudi Pro League’s star influx. When Cristiano Ronaldo – one of the most marketable athletes on Earth – signed with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, it marked the league’s intent to buy relevance. Ronaldo was 37 and past his peak performance, but his signing was followed by a flood of other big names (Benzema, Neymar, etc.) and huge investment in promotion.
Al Nassr’s social media exploded (as noted, their Instagram jumped above 10 million followers) (Wright, 2023), and suddenly Saudi football was on the map in a way it never had been. The Saudi clubs haven’t outperformed European clubs competitively, but that wasn’t the point – the point was to be seen.
In much the same way the NASL brought Pelé to America in the 1970s, Saudi Arabia is using star power to force global awareness and spark local interest in their league. It’s a bold strategy of prioritizing marketing (and maybe politics) over pure sporting merit, and it underlines that today, athletes are viewed as content assets and brand ambassadors, not just players.
Lonnie Walker and Žalgiris
As always, I’m promoting my hometown Kaunas and I want to highlight a fascinating recent case that involves Lonnie Walker IV and Žalgiris Kaunas. Walker, a 25-year-old NBA role player, signed with Žalgiris (the top Lithuanian club) in 2024 after being waived by an NBA team. This was unusual: a player in his prime with solid NBA experience choosing to play in Lithuania.
For Žalgiris, it was a chance to inject star quality and put a potentially one of the more marketable athletes in Europe into their roster. Walker was no household name globally, but for Lithuanian fans, an active NBA athlete choosing their team was huge news. He immediately became one of the most talented and certainly the most hyped players in the domestic league and Euroleague. Attendance and interest spiked as fans were curious to see an NBA-caliber American in the green and white of Žalgiris.
Walker performed well personally, but results in Euroleague dropped. Despite that, for the first time in years, Žalgiris was still selling out games, despite a losing streak. As the team’s sports director noted, “his play elevated the atmosphere at the Žalgiris Arena” (Basketnews, 2025). He brought a bit of that NBA-style pizzazz – high-flying dunks, swagger, and though his performance dropped, everyone still wanted to see him live, because maybe he will do another unforgettable performance or mind-blowing dunk. Even though his stint was short (he had an NBA out-clause and returned to the league a few months later), the impact was memorable.
Žalgiris got international mention for signing him, and local fans got entertainment and bragging rights while it lasted. The club was prepared for his departure (they knew he might use the NBA opt-out), but they viewed the arrangement as positive, thanking Lonnie for his contributions and the positivity he brought .
In this case, Žalgiris essentially borrowed star power to boost their team’s fortunes on and off the court. It wasn’t purely a marketing gimmick – Walker did contribute to winning games – but the excitement around his signing and the subsequent lift in fan engagement underscore how a player’s name recognition can matter as much as his stats. A quiet, journeyman Euroleague player wouldn’t have generated the same buzz or perhaps ticket sales. For smaller-market teams especially, a marquee signing can be transformative. It shows that from the NBA down to Europe and beyond, the calculus is often the same: if you snag a player with “name value,” the investment can pay off.
Summary: Flash Over Stats? Fan Survey Says Marketable Athletes Now Matter More Than Winning
The evidence from both our fan survey and these real-world cases paints a clear picture. In today’s sports ecosystem, flash often beats pure stats – at least when it comes to business, sports marketing and cultural impact.
Championships will always thrill fans of the winning team, but a charismatic superstar can captivate even neutral fans and command global attention. Sports managers, therefore, live in a world where signing and promoting the right personality can sometimes be as important as building a winning roster.
Our 457 respondents signaled that they see this shift: a majority believe story and style amplify an athlete’s brand value, flashy players leave a bigger cultural footprint, and being marketable can matter more than being the best stat-sheet stuffer.
The cases of Beckham, Iverson, Messi, Ronaldo, and others illustrate why they might feel that way. Time and again, we see that marketable athletes are a franchise cornerstone in ways that transcend the scoreboard. They fill stadiums (even on the road), spike TV ratings, sell merchandise, attract sponsors, and elevate the team’s profile. They can even influence how the sport is perceived in the broader culture – whether it’s Beckham making soccer “cool” in America, or Iverson bringing hip-hop fashion courtside, or athletes-turned-activists sparking social debates.
For sports owners and general managers, the take-home message is a bit complex. Ideally, you want it all – the championship parade and the blockbuster endorsements. Icons like Michael Jordan or LeBron James gave us both. But those are rare. More commonly, decision-makers face a subtle trade-off: invest in pure winning pieces, or take a chance on a flashy star who might be the difference between a good team and a global phenomenon.
In the end, fans want to be entertained. A quiet winner gives you pride, but a flamboyant player gives you stories to tell. The modern fan experience is as much about Instagram moments and viral highlights as it is about final scores. Our survey respondents acknowledge that reality. As one might summarize: trophies are great, but the memories of marketable athletes with swagger who put your team on the map – those can last just as long.
CITATION
Bakanauskas, P. (2025, September 12). Flash Over Stats? Fan Survey Says Marketable Athletes Now Matter More Than Winning. Play of Values. https://playofvalues.com/marketable-athletes-over-winning/
IN-TEXT CITATION: (Bakanauskas, 2025)
Questions related to Marketable Athletes
What does it mean to be a marketable athlete?
Marketable athletes are the ones who attracts sponsorships and media attention because of their performance, personality, and ability to connect with fans.
Who are the most marketable athletes?
The most marketable athletes are global stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Serena Williams, who combine sporting success with strong personal brands. Other notable marketable athletes, despite mediocre personal results, were Allen Iverson, Dennis Rodman, Nick Kyrgios, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and others.
Who is more marketable, Messi or Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo is generally seen as more marketable due to his massive social media following, while Messi’s appeal is tied more to his quiet excellence and loyal fan base.
Who is an athlete marketer?
An athlete marketer is a professional who helps athletes build their brand, negotiate sponsorships, and promote themselves in media and advertising campaigns.
What does it mean if someone is marketable?
If someone is marketable, it means they have qualities that attract attention and investment, making them appealing to brands, employers, or audiences.
What is marketable vs non-marketable?
Marketable athletes or individuals have traits that drive commercial value, while non-marketable ones struggle to attract sponsorships or wider interest despite their performance.
What makes someone marketable?
Strong performance, charisma, storytelling, and a loyal fan following make someone marketable, especially when combined with a clean image and media presence.
List of References
- BasketNews.com. (2025, February 19). Zalgiris to look for a replacement for Lonnie Walker IV. basketnews.com. Link.
- Friel, J. (2018, June 7). Tim Duncan and the 10 Most Boring Players in the NBA. Bleacher Report. Link.
- Gaines, C. (2016, July 17). Why one of the best players in the NBA seemed to fly under the radar for so long. Business Insider. Link.
- Garnett was hoping to get Iverson – Los Angeles Times. (2006, December 24). Los Angeles Times. Link.
- Haywood, K. (2024, July 6). The Answer: 13 ways Allen Iverson brought Black culture to the NBA. REVOLT. Link.
- Humphreys, B. R., & Johnson, C. (2017). The effect of superstar players on game attendance: Evidence from the NBA. Link.
- Iverson leaps ahead of pack in licensed merchandise sales. (2001, June 14). Sports Business Journal. Link.
- Lamport-Stokes, M. (2015, March 6). Beckham effect “pretty significant” on MLS. Reuters. Link.
- Lawless, J. (2023, February 15). Ronaldinho broke the internet with the first YouTube video to hit 1 million views online. SPORTbible. Link.
- Li, B., Scott, O. K., Naraine, M. L., & Ruihley, B. J. (2021). Tell me a story: Exploring elite female athletes’ self-presentation via an analysis of Instagram stories. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 21(2), 108-120. Link.
- Metcalfe, C. (2013). NBA Star Power: Impact on Attendance. Link.
- Mirza, R. (2021, July 7). Wimbledon: How Nick Kyrgios has gone from tennis bad boy to the darling of Wimbledon. Sky Sports. Link.
- Quirk, J. P., Fort, R. D. (2018). Pay dirt: The business of professional team sports. Princeton University Press.
- Soaring ticket prices and a social media boom, the Messi effect on US Soccer. (2023, June 14). CBS News. Link.
- Wright, C. (2023, January 6). The Ronaldo Effect: Al Nassr Instagram sees huge increase – ESPN. ESPN.com. Link.
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