The top 100 sports and athleisure brands and leagues across apparel, sport leagues, nutrition, and digital fitness generated $43.0B in total Earned Media Value in 2025, up +30.2% YoY, but growth is highly concentrated, the platform balance is shifting fast, and sport leagues are rewriting the influence rulebook.
TikTok grew +121% YoY and is rapidly closing on Instagram as the dominant sports influence platform. YouTube generates the highest EMV per post of any platform at $126K, more than 4.5Ă— Instagram’s $28K, making sports one of the few categories where three platforms are genuinely competing for the top spot.
The Brands and Leagues Winning the Sports Social Conversation Full EMV rankings across apparel, sport leagues, nutrition & supplements, and digital fitness, with YoY growth for all 100 brands. The NBA leads at $7.9B, the NFL surged +45.2%, and UEFA Champions League posted +51.6%.
Sport Leagues now account for $34.7B of the $43.0B total, up +42.9% YoY. Apparel declined -5.6%. The structural shift in where sports influence is being generated is accelerating.
MLB Nearly Tripled Overnight +196% EMV growth, the biggest brand leap in the index. Ligue 1 wasn’t far behind at +214%. The data shows exactly what triggered both surges.
Platform & Regional Shifts You Need to Act On TikTok +121%, YouTube +21.8%, Instagram holding at $16.8B. The USA dominated at $18.1B (+45.1%), China was the fastest-growing major market at +55.3%. Full breakdowns by platform, format, and region inside.
The Apparel Brands Bucking the Decline Sub-sector down -5.6% overall. Tala +243%, Vuori +186%. The gap between winners and the rest is widening, and the data shows exactly why.
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