The competitive markets of fitness, athleisure, and athletic footwear, can be a crowded space. While most reference Nike and Puma when discussing inking top athletes to endorsement deals, Reebok has garnered a litany of superstar athletes since its inception in 1958 and its acquisition by parent company Adidas in 2003.
Having a history of league deals with the NFL, UFC, and the NBA, the company has become well acquainted with the best of the best. From basketball legends Shaquille O’ Neal and Allen Iverson, to the NFL’s Watt brothers, and to two of the UFC’s biggest global icons, the brand packs a ton of recognizable faces.
Here are the top 10 Reebok athletes in terms of social media audience size:
10. Lexie Brown | WNBA
Instagram Following: 162,000
Twitter Following: 16,000
Facebook Following: N/A
Total Following: 178,000
The WNBA player has alluded to having an athletic shoe release in store for her presumably paying homage to her dad’s (former NBA player Dee Brown) lifetime contract with Reebok.
9. Niko Price | UFC
Instagram Following: 90,000
Twitter Following: 37,000
Facebook Following: 8,000
Total Following: 135,000
Appropriately nicknamed “The Hybrid”, his personality defies convention. The UFC athlete has featured in Reebok attire during humerous training sessions.
8. Derek Watt | NFL
Instagram Following: 297,000
Twitter Following: 98,000
Facebook Following: N/A
Total Following: 395,000
Derek has been repping the Reebok Hydrorush training shoes since his endorsement deal signing with the fitness brand. He has featured alongside his brothers in company blog posts, thus further showcasing their personalities.
7. Devonta Freeman | NFL
Instagram Following: 246,000
Twitter Following: 130,000
Facebook Following: 40,000
Total Following: 416,000
Freeman has been with Reebok since 2017 where he has advertised the Reebok classic athleisure line on Instagram and interviewed within the company’s blog on numerous occasions to discuss his affinity for the brand’s running shoes.
6. Montrezl Harrell | NBA
Instagram Following: 337,000
Twitter Following: 94,000
Facebook Following: 89,000
Total Following: 520,000
Harrell has been active with the brand. The L.A. Clippers forward engaged with his fanbase over the summer by asking which basketball shoes he should rock in his NBA Bubble debut. He also teamed up with Reebok to reintroduce the retro Kamikaze basketball shoes on the 25th anniversary of their release. A comic strip was designed to showcase Harrell’s love for the shoe line.
5. TJ Watt | NFL
Instagram Following: 830,000
Twitter Following: 353,000
Facebook Following: N/A
Total Following: 1.1 million
The youngest Watt brother signed a brand ambassador deal with Reebok in 2017. At the time, the trio of brothers were the only NFL players who had partnerships with the brand.
4. JJ Watt | NFL
Twitter Following: 5.5 million
Instagram Following: 4 million
Facebook Following: 2 million
Total Following: 11.5 million
The eldest of the Watt brothers has been one of the more visible Reebok athletes. JJ has multiple Reebok shoe lines and attire and is active on social media (he is no stranger to professing his love for Allen Iverson’s signature sneakers).
Watt is also no stranger to giving back to the community. He has used proceeds from his signature shoe lines to give back to veterans charities
3. Allen Iverson | NBA (retired)
Instagram Following: 8.6 million
Facebook Following: 3.4 million
Twitter Following: 1.2 million
Total Following: 13.2 million
“The Answer” is set up quite nicely with the fitness brand. Having secured a lifetime deal with Reebok that will pay him $800,000 annually and includes a $32 million trust fund that he can access beginning in 2030.
The deal more than keeps the hooping legends involved. In a unique crossover collaboration with parent company adidas and James Harden, the two sides put out a new shoe line that pays homage to both ballers.
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov | UFC (retired)
Instagram Following: 25.5 million
Facebook Following: 2.2 million
Twitter Following: 1.3 million
Total Following: 29 million
The recently retired Khabib will go down as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history. As Reebok was the longtime apparel partner with UFC, Nurmagomedov’s impression with the brand was highlighted within the octagon. Yet, he consistently repped the fitness brand on social media in his free time.
1. Conor McGregor | UFC
Instagram Following: 37.2 million
Facebook Following: 8.3 million
Twitter Following: 8.3 million
Total Following: 53.8 million
The biggest name in mixed martial arts is active outside of the octagon. Whether he is bolstering McGregor Fast or marketing his Proper No. Twelve irish whiskey, “The Notorious” always keep business at the forefront as he was named Forbes’ 16th highest paid athlete in 2020.
McGregor renewed his deal with Reebok in 2018 to the tune of $5 million per year. The deal will continue to bolster McGregor’s ties to the company as he expands up on his sportswear and running shoes lines.
Reebok has the diversity and reach to position itself as the leader in both established and emerging sports. Rookies, veterans, and legends all have a place within the brand as the athletes on this list combine to leverage their 109+ million social following. With key pillars in place, Reebok will only look to add to its talented roster moving forward.
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