Virat Kohli is India's most valued celebrity: Duff & Phelps

New York-based multinational financial consultancy firm Duff & Phelps announced its sixth edition of Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2020 on Thursday, February 4. The report suggests that cricketer Virat Kohli continues to be the country's most valued celebrity for the fourth consecutive year. His brand value stands at $237.7 million. Kohli is also the only celebrity outside the entertainment industry to make it to the list of top ten most-valued celebs.

The report also states that the brand value of top 20 celebrities in 2020 is estimated at $1 billion, down by five percent from 2019 as the pandemic crippled all activities.

Aviral Jain, Managing Director at Duff & Phelps, said, "In 2020, the media and entertainment sector took a hit and witnessed a significant slowdown in advertising spends as traditional media and outdoor entertainment were severely impacted by the pandemic. Digital marginally overtook print to become the second-largest segment in the advertisement space, and it continues to witness traction among brands."

Here's the list of top 10 most valued celebrities from the Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2020 :

• #1 Virat Kohli at $237.7 million
• #2 Akshay Kumar at $118.9 million
• #3 Ranveer Singh at $102.9 million
• #4 Shah Rukh Khan at $51.1 million
• #5 Deepika Padukone at $50.4 million
• #6 Alia Bhatt at $48 million
• #7 Ayushman Khurrana at $48 million
• #8 Salman Khan $45 million
• #9 Amitabh Bachchan $44.2 million
• #10 Hrithik Roshan at $39.4 million

Actor Tiger Shroff and cricketer Rohit Sharma have jumped a few slots up the ladder and are ranked #15 and #17, respectively. Actor Kartik Aaryan made his debut on the list at rank #20.

"These rising millennial celebrities were in greater demand during the pandemic owing to their popularity among the youth," Aviral explains.

The Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2020 is based on the brand value derived from a celebrity's product endorsement portfolio and relative social media presence. It examined the impact of the pandemic on both brand value rankings and the celebrity endorsement space.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)