Conor McGregor earns almost 58 times more than Katie Taylor per Instagram post, new analysis has revealed.
The research has named the UFC star, who hasn't fought in almost two years, as the most influential Irish athlete on the social media platform.
The study conducted by Irish betting experts Bettingtop10 Ireland analysed the most followed athletes in the country’s most popular sports. The Instagram profiles then tracked the highest-earning Irish athletes on Instagram based on their average earnings per sponsored post to reveal the most influential Irish athletes on Instagram.
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Leading the list is McGregor, with average earnings of €111,495 per sponsored post on Instagram. The mixed martial artist has amassed a following of a whopping 46.4 million fans with the account handle @thenotoriousmma. He treats his followers to scenes of his fights and day-to-day engagements, spanning luxury outings to preparing a hotdog sandwich.
McGregor, who has only won one of his five fights since 2017, has not fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in the summer of 2021, but is set to face American Michael Chandler before the end of the year.
WWE star Becky Lynch is second on the list, raking in €13,726 on average per sponsored Instagram post. The most followed Irish wrestler boasts 5.7 million followers with the account handle @beckylynchwwe. She shares her wrestling victories and philanthropic activities to the admiration of her fans on the social media platform.
Undisputed lightweight champion Taylor is in third place, earning, on average €1,931 per sponsored Instagram post. Her account @katie_t86 has garnered 567,000 followers who are entertained by her punching rendezvous and training content.
Swinging into fourth place is golfer, Shane Lowry, with an average Instagram earning of €986 per sponsored post. His account @shanelowrygolf has amassed 272,000 followers who get treated to his tournament and training activities as well as family portraits.
Rounding out the top five is Conor Murray, who is projected to earn €903 on average, per sponsored Instagram post, with his account @conormurray. Boasting 249,000 followers, he is the highest followed active Irish rugby player on Instagram.
In sixth place is soccer star Matt Doherty earning €762 per sponsored Instagram post with his 207,000 followers. Rhys McClenghan is seventh, earning €348 per sponsored post on Instagram.
Hurling star TJ Reid follows in eighth and is projected to earn €259 per sponsored post to his 52,000 followers, and Brian Fenton could snap €222 per sponsored post on Instagram. Robert Heffernan is tenth, earning an average of €177 per sponsored Instagram post with his 23,00 followers.
Looking at the study, the Irish betting experts of Bettingtop10 Ireland commented: “The list of the most influential Irish athletes on Instagram sheds light on the growing popularity of sportspersons as influencers with great followings on the social media platform.
"Athletes are known to have a large reach and, by virtue of their sporting activities, offer entertaining content to their followers. This makes them attractive to brands who look to pick the best influencers for their products.”
The Most Influential Irish Athletes on Instagram |
||||
Rank |
Athlete |
Sport |
Instagram followers |
Average Instagram Earnings Per Post |
1 |
Conor McGregor |
Mixed Martial Arts |
46,200,000 |
€ 111,495 |
2 |
Becky Lynch |
Wrestling |
5,600,000 |
€ 13,726 |
3 |
Katie Taylor |
Boxing |
538,000 |
€ 1,931 |
4 |
Shane Lowry |
Golf |
271,000 |
€ 986 |
5 |
Conor Murray |
Rugby |
248,000 |
€ 903 |
6 |
Matt Doherty |
Soccer |
207,000 |
€ 762 |
7 |
Rhys McClenaghan |
Gymnastics |
70,800 |
€ 348 |
8 |
TJ Reid |
Hurling |
52,000 |
€ 259 |
9 |
Brian Fenton |
Gaelic Football |
34,300 |
€ 222 |
10 |
Robert Heffernan |
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