LeBron James sponsored tweets are worth $140K: report

LeBron James's Twitter brand has been anointed as the most valuable among American athletes.

With 23.2 million followers, the Cleveland Cavalier forward has extensive social reach and could earn $139,474 US for a single sponsored tweet, according to a marketing company.

Opendorse, a company that focuses on executing and monetizing digital and social media campaigns for athletes, told ESPN's Darren Rovell of James's potential media value.

"We're basically saying that the value of one LeBron tweet is worth $140,000," said Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence. "And with that, you will reach 23 million people. It would cost you five times more to reach that many people with a TV ad."

Other big earners include Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant at $66,553, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant ($42,389), boxer Floyd Mayweather ($34,924) and Houston Rockets centre Dwight Howard ($34,290).

Those numbers are well above what most athletes could expect. Lawrence said an athlete receives between $1,000 and $2,500 from most companies for one tweet.

He divulged that his company recently offered James a six-figure single-tweet deal, which was declined by the 30-year-old's camp.