With the debate heating up among current and former players in terms of just which USA Basketball “Dream Team” was better, sports pundits have had a field day waxing poetic. Nielsen decided jump onto the court, looking at which team is the marketing dream team off-the-court by using Nielsen and E-Poll’s N-Score rating, which measures endorsement potential.
The results? The 1992 Dream Team—who’s mass of talent helped basketball reach a global audience and ushered in a new era of sneaker and sports drink endorsements— excels in almost every category. The squad, helmed by Michael Jordan, is viewed as more influential, handsome, down-to-earth, and experienced. Their average N-Score is higher than their current court counterparts by a large margin as well—158.7 to 35.5.
“The Olympic Games give athletes a much larger platform, not just to showcase their athletic talent, but the right athlete can generate global recognition and transcend the sporting world” said Stephen Master, Vice President, Sports for Nielsen. “N-Score helps companies make the hard choice of whether an athlete is a good candidate for a strategic marketing partnership.”
That is not to say it’s a runaway victory for Team 1992. The current team has notable marketing potential as well. Key N-Score findings include:
Learn more about N-Score.