Virat Kohli's brand value stands at $144 million in 2017, registering a growth of 56% from last year, according to a report.
Even as King Khan has been ruling Bollywood for over two decades now, he lost his title as the most valuable celebrity brand in 2017, according to a report. Guess who has replaced Shah Rukh Khan? Yes, it is the newly-wed captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli. He became the most valuable celebrity brand in the country this year, with a brand value of $144 million, registering a growth of 56 per cent from last year, according to the Duff & Phelps report, titled 'Rise of the Millennials: India's Most Valuable Celebrity Brands'. This increase is primarily driven by his growing endorsement fees, on-field performances and a rise in popularity index, said a top official of Duff & Phelps, a global valuation and corporate finance advisor.
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Shah Rukh Khan slipped to second rank, with a brand value of $106 million, down nearly 20 per cent as compared to 2016.
"For the first time since we began publishing our rankings, Shah Rukh Khan has slipped from the top ranking and been replaced by Virat Kohli. Kohli is now the first choice of brands to engage and attract consumers, fuelled by his extraordinary on-field performances and off-field charisma," Duff & Phelps managing director and region leader-India, Japan and Southeast Asia Varun Gupta said.
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, valued at $93 million, retained her third rank in the list.
Virat Kohli endorses 20 brands as of October 2017, while Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone endorse 21 and 23 brands, respectively.
Actor Akshay Kumar added seven new product brands to his portfolio and his brand value surged nearly 97 per cent to reach $47 million in 2017.
"Other young celebrities such as actress Alia Bhatt, actor Varun Dhawan and badminton champion P V Sindhu have either risen in the rankings or entered our top 15 list, backed by noteworthy performances in their respective fields and strong endorsement signings over the last year," Mr Gupta added.
Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only other sports person to feature in the top 15 list, taking the 13th position with a brand value of $21 million.
Ace badminton player PV Sindhu is the first female sports personality to feature in the top 15 celebrities, occupying the 15th slot with a brand valuation of $15 million.
"While Bollywood celebrities continue to dominate the top 15, sportspersons are providing tough competition as Kohli, Dhoni and Sindhu, collectively valued at $180 million, account for nearly a quarter of the overall celebrity brand value of the top 15," Duff & Phelps director Aviral Jain pointed out.
Celebrities are believed to feature in close to 50 per cent of all advertisements aired in India, the report said, adding that the number of products endorsed by the top 15 celebrities has seen a 14 per cent growth over last year. In 2016, the top 15 celebrities endorsed 205 products, which rose to 234 in 2017.
