NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bleacher Report today introduces the B/R POWER 50, a definitive list of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Sports Culture. The B/R POWER 50 acknowledges a mix of athletes and celebrities who have most influenced sports culture in 2018, from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jimmy Garoppolo to Aly Raisman and Meek Mill. Their actions embody what it means for an influencer to blaze their own path and/or use their platform for good.
The B/R POWER 50 is built by 39 influential writers, athletes and fans – from Steve Nash to #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Michael Bennett, Ros Gold-Onwude and more. The team of writers, athletes and fans contributed to 50 profiles and essays, which will be shared all week across Bleacher Report’s platforms, including its award-winning app.
“This list isn’t just about the ability to change teams and scores, to sell records or to set them,” said Adena Jones, Deputy Managing Editor for B/R Mag. “It’s a re-definition – a declaration – of the power within people to influence lives through sports, and for sports to change our culture.”
The B/R POWER 50 encompasses five categories of sports culture:
- BOSS UP: “Ballers” making money moves and entrepreneurs making their personal brands shine. Take Jimmy Garoppolo as an example – one of five B/R POWER 50 cover stories, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback told B/R staff writer Joon Lee that when he got to the Patriots, “I thought in my head, ‘I’m better than this dude.’” That dude? Tom Brady.
- SHAKE IT UP: Groundbreakers causing domino effects across entire industries, such as rapper Meek Mill, who opened up to B/R contributor Rembert Browne about watching the Super Bowl from jail while the Eagles celebrated to his hit song.
- LEVEL UP: Game changers playing in entire new ways under pressure, much like world football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who B/R Football’s Steve Nash compares to Michael Jordan.
- SPEAK UP: Conversation starters amplifying underrepresented groups and issues, including former gymnast Aly Raisman. As her fellow survivor tells B/R writer-at-large Mirin Fader, Raisman’s activism shows “how impactful one voice can be.”
- GLOW UP: Stars breaking through so fast you didn’t even see them coming, such as Donovan Mitchell, who become one of the biggest headliners in the NBA during his rookie season.
The B/R POWER 50 is available now at POWER50.BLEACHERREPORT.COM.
About Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is the premier digital destination for millennial sports fans creating and collaborating on the culture of sports for the next generation of fans. Its vision for making sports bigger than games has led to unmatched engagement on social media, where it consistently ranks as a top publisher on each platform. Bleacher Report also provides an industry-leading fan experience on mobile devices through Bleacher Report, the top-rated smartphone and tablet app. Find Bleacher Report at www.bleacherreport.com and on Instagram @BleacherReport. Bleacher Report is a division of Turner Sports.
