A new report from sports and entertainment intelligence platform SponsorUnited reveals that influencers are gaining followers 2.5 times faster than traditional celebrities. 

The study analyzed the top 100 most-followed celebrities and influencers and found that this group gained over 825 million followers across social media platforms in the past year.

Source: SponsorUnited

Key findings show that influencers accounted for over 70% of the total follower growth. 

Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, is leading the pack, gaining 182 million followers last year. Other top-performing influencers include Stokes Twins, with 62 million new followers, and iShowSpeed, with 26 million.

Among traditional celebrities, soccer transfer commentator Fabrizio Romano leads with 22 million new followers. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson continues to maintain his position with nearly 10 million new followers, while Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor and actor Ryan Reynolds saw growth of 9.6 million and 8.3 million followers, respectively.

Brand Deals

The report highlights a generational shift in marketing strategies. 

Celebrities and influencers aged 25 to 44 secure the most brand deals, representing 58% of the total deals across the top 100 most-followed individuals. 

However, in the influencer category, those under 34 represent nearly 80% of brand deals.

Gender distribution in brand deals shows a relatively balanced split, with 48% of deals secured by females and 52% by males. However, the report notes that female endorsers outperform males on social media engagement, suggesting untapped potential for brands to diversify partnerships with female endorsers.

Source: SponsorUnited

In terms of platform dominance, YouTube emerges as a key asset for influencers. The video-sharing platform allows influencers to rival the reach of traditional stars, with influencers having 13 times more subscribers than celebrities on the platform.

Brand Endorsements

The study also sheds light on brand activity in the endorsement space. 

L’Oréal and Walmart lead with six deals each, followed by Amazon Prime and Airbnb with five deals each. Notably, 29% of brands active in the endorsement space were newcomers over the last 12 months, with only 4% of these new brands securing multiple endorsement deals.

Source: SponsorUnited

Cosmetics and skincare brands dominate the endorsement scene with over 65 deals, followed by non-athletic apparel and footwear with over 60 deals. The report attributes part of this trend to L’Oréal and CeraVe signing multiple celebrity or influencer deals in recent years.

Among individual endorsers, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio leads with 31 brand deals, including collaborations with major brands like 7-Eleven, Walmart, and L’Oréal. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay follows with 28 deals across diverse sectors.

The report also notes interesting trends in audience engagement. Engagement drops significantly for male influencers and celebrities after six partnerships, while female influencers maintain steady engagement regardless of deal volume.

The research covers data from September 2, 2023, to September 2, 2024, and examines over 650 brands, 1,350 deals, and 3,000 celebrity and influencer social posts.

Find the full report here.