Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Dollar Weakens in Thin New Year Trading 
Meta Acquires AI Startup Manus to Expand Advanced AI Capabilities Across Platforms 
U.S. Stock Index Futures Steady as Markets Await Fed Policy Clues in Holiday-Thinned Trade 
U.S. Dollar Slides Toward Biggest Annual Loss Since 2017 as 2026 Risks Loom 
Air China Orders 60 Airbus A320neo Jets in $9.5 Billion Deal as Airbus Strengthens Grip on China Market 
China Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in December, Offering Boost to Economic Growth Outlook 
South Korea Exports Hit Record High as Global Trade Momentum Builds 
Asian Markets Slip as Precious Metals Cool, Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Sentiment 
Boeing Secures Major $2.7 Billion U.S. Military Contract for Apache Helicopter Support 
Hyundai Faces Deadline on Russia Plant Buyback Amid Ukraine War and Sanctions 
What makes a good football coach? The reality behind the myths 
Elon Musk’s xAI Expands Supercomputer Infrastructure With Third Data Center to Boost AI Training Power 
Trump Attends Super Bowl Amid Cheers, Boos, and Political Divide 
South Korea Factory Activity Returns to Growth in December on Export Rebound 
US sportswear giant Nike has retained the top spot in SportsPro’s list of the World’s 50 Most Marketable (50MM) brands, holding off challenges by rival sportswear brand and second-placer Adidas, Emirates, Santander, and Red Bull, who rounded out the top five.
Puma, State Farm, Monster Energy, Dream11, and Heineken took the sixth to tenth spots.
The methodology was based on Hookit’s assessment of sponsorship value done by tracking the social and digital posts of every major professional athlete, team, and league, totaling over 500,000 accounts between 15th August 2020 and 15th August 2021.
Over 30,000 sports athletes and organizations posted during this period, promoting more than 8,000 brands across various platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, VK, and Weibo.
Nike registered over 8.77 billion engagements on social media promoting its brand in a year, lequivaent to a sponsorship value of US$616.5 million.
Adidas exhibited a sponsorship value of more than US$270 million.
Having topped the list last year, Nike’s total represented a 58 percent increase in branded engagements and a 34 percent increase in sponsorship value received compared to 2020.
Scott Tilton, co-founder, and chief executive of Hookit, said that while it’s no surprise to see Nike at the top, there’s a significant shakeup in this year’s rankings compared to last year due to the comeback of sporting events, like the Euros and Summer Olympics
Michael Long, editorial director at SportsPro, added that the list speaks to the continued cultural relevance and unparalleled marketing nous of Nike, which is relevant not only in professional sport but in the everyday lives of global consumers.
