We have a big odds on favourite to win the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year on Thursday December 18 after the BBC revealed the six nominees for the prestigious award.
Whether it's team success or individual glory, it has certainly been a year to remember. When the great and the good of the sporting world gather to look back on the last 12 months in Salford next week, there will be plenty of backers for each contender on the six-strong shortlist.
71 previous winners have been recognised down the years for their athletic brilliance and resilience in achieving their goal. Last year saw Keely Hodgkinson claim the award in the public vote after she won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, while Luke Littler (back in the mix again this year) and Joe Root also made the podium.
Here we take a look at the six contenders to become the 2025 SPOTY, as well as all the latest odds and betting from our selected partners.
Sports Personality of the Year Odds
| Winner | Sport | Odds |
| Rory McIlroy | Golf | 13/20 with AK Bets |
| Lando Norris | Motorsport | 10/3 with Virgin Bet |
| Chloe Kelly | Football | 6/1 with Sky Bet |
| Luke Littler | Darts | 28/1 with SpreadEx |
| Hannah Hampton | Football | 50/1 with Ladbrokes |
| Ellie Kildunne | Rugby | 125/1 with Bet365 |
Who is the favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year 2025?
Masters and Ryder Cup winnr Rory McIlroy is the odds on bookmakers' favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year 2025, with newly crowned Formula 1 World champion Lando Norris leapfrogging Chloe Kelly into second place.
Who is up for Sports Personality of the Year 2025? The shortlist revealed
A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, covering golf, formula 1, football, darts and rugby. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy has been strong in the betting all year long after finally completing the career Grand Slam in golf with a dramatic play-off victory against Englishman Justin Rose at The Masters in April, 11 years on from his previous major championship victory.
McIlroy first won a major back in 2011 at the US Open, with that triumph coming a couple of months after his extraordinary collapse on the back nine at Augusta at The Masters when he should have really claimed his first green jacket.
He had to wait nearly 15 years for redemption, but did so in style in 2025 to earn his place among golf's greats. His position in the market has only been strengthened by his contribution to Europe's Ryder Cup win in New York.
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Chloe Kelly
It has been another historic summer for England's women’s football team, capped off with a remarkable European Championship title, and one of their heroes is a big contender for another major honour.
Kelly's starring role from the substitutes' bench ensured the Lionesses made it to the showpiece against Spain and — just as she was three years ago — it was fitting that Kelly was again the heroine in the final, with the winning penalty in the shootout.
Lando Norris
Lando Norris won the Formula One's Drivers Championship ahead of Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi despite not actually winning the race itself. It was his first F1 world championship and saw him become the 11th British driver to capture the biggest prize in motorsport.
Luke Littler
Littler is firmly in the mix having won nine majors since bursting on to the scene just two years ago at the 2024 World Darts Championship. Still just 18 years of age, Littler became the youngest world number one in PDC history after winning the 2025 Grand Slam.
Hannah Hampton
Unsurprisingly, we have double representation from the Lionesses in the final six through Hannah Hampton. The Chelsea goalkeeper was named player of the match in the final after saving two spot-kicks in the penalty shootout to help England win the European Championship final.
Ellie Kildunne
England Women's World Cup win in the rugby thrust Ellie Kildunne into the spotlight. She scored five times as England won the title on home soil, including two in the semi-final against France and a spectacular solo effort in the final against Cardiff.
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When is 2025 Sports Personality of the Year
The 2025 SPOTY will take place on Thursday, December 18 on the BBC. That is a bit of a change, having taken place on a Tuesday last year, having previously often been on a Sunday evening.
Sports Personality of the Year: Winners 2015-2024
Here's the winners of the last 10 years of SPOTY awards. Who will join them in 2025?
| Year | Winner | Second place | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Andy Murray (Tennis) | Kevin Sinfield (Rugby League) | Jessica Ennis-Hill (Athletics) |
| 2016 | Andy Murray (Tennis) | Alistair Brownlee (Triathlon) | Nick Skelton (Equestrian) |
| 2017 | Mo Farah (Athletics) | Jonathan Rea (Motor Sport) | Jonnie Peacock (Athletics) |
| 2018 | Geraint Thomas (Cycling) | Lewis Hamilton (Motor Sport) | Harry Kane (Football) |
| 2019 | Ben Stokes (Cricket) | Lewis Hamilton (Motor Sport) | Dina Asher-Smith (Athletics) |
| 2020 | Lewis Hamilton (Motor Sport) | Jordan Henderson (Football) | Hollie Doyle (Horse Racing) |
| 2021 | Emma Raducanu (Tennis) | Tom Daley (Diving) | Adam Peaty (Swimming) |
| 2022 | Beth Mead (Football) | Ben Stokes (Cricket) | Eve Muirhead (Curling) |
| 2023 | Mary Earps (Football) | Stuart Broad (Cricket) | Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Athletics) |
| 2024 | Keely Hodgkinson (Athletics) | Luke Littler (Darts) | Joe Root (Cricket) |
How to watch 2025 Sports Personality of the Year
- Date: Thursday, December 18
- Venue: Dock10 Studios, Salford, Manchester
- TV: BBC, BBC iPlayer