Who Will Win BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2025?

The BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year takes place in Salford next month for what seems to be a two-horse race.

MediaCity UK will host the glittering ceremony on December 18 when the public will vote for the main prize as well as Team of the Year for the first time.

Rory McIlroy is the narrow 13/8 favourite with one of the betting sites, closely followed by England Lioness Chloe Kelly, who hopes to become the fifth woman in a row to win the prestigious award.

The shortlist is expected to be announced in early December, but here are the contenders and the latest BBC Sports Personality of the Year Odds.

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BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Odds: Rory McIlroy

McIlroy finally completed the Grand Slam (which requires wins at the US Masters, USPGA Championship, US Open and The Open) 11 years after his fourth major title. 

He was overcome by emotion after the winning shot at Augusta National, sinking to his knees and crying once victory was secured.

Four weeks earlier, the Northern Irishman had won The Players Championship for a second time, a tournament long regarded as the fifth unofficial major, and in September he captured the Irish Open, nine years after his first success, also at the K Club.

Sports Personality Of The Year Odds:

For many, though, his crowning glory came a few weeks later when he led Europe to a stunning victory in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in the face of boorish abuse from the US crowd.

The closest McIlroy came to winning SPOTY was in 2014, the year he won The Open and the USPGA Championship, finishing runner-up to F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Could this finally be McIlroy’s year? The odds suggest he is in the driving seat – but only just.

BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Odds: Chloe Kelly 

Kelly is bidding to follow Beth Mead and Mary Earps in becoming the third Lioness in five years to win the Sports Personality of the Year award.

The 27-year-old forward certainly has a strong case, having led England to a successful defence of their Women’s European Championship title in Switzerland.

Kelly, who returned to Arsenal from Manchester City in July following a loan spell, was the hero in the summer, scoring the match-winning penalty in the final against Spain, three years after bagging an extra-time winner in the title-decider against Germany.

Despite not starting a single game at Euro 2025, Kelly’s impact from off the bench in the matches against Sweden (QF), Italy (SF) and Spain proved to be game-changing and it is no surprise to see she is 7/4 with Ladbrokes to capture the public’s hearts once again.

BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Odds: Lando Norris

Lando Norris was 16/1 at the time of our last preview in September, but a lot has changed since then for the Formula One star.

The McLaren driver holds a 24-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings with just two grands prix to go – Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

His lead over McLaren team-mate Oscar Pistorius was 30 points after the night race in Las Vegas at the weekend, but both drivers were disqualified for excessive skid-block wear.

Norris is the 4/11 favourite to land a maiden world championship title and is now priced at 7/2 to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Odds: Luke Littler

Luke Littler became the youngest player to win the world championship, aged 17, at the start of an incredible year for the Warrington teenager.

Littler recently celebrated becoming the youngest world number one with a successful defence of his Grand Slam of Darts title, beating Luke Humphries 16-11 in the final.

The youngster then made it six major ranking titles this year with an 11-8 victory over Nathan Aspinall in the Players Championship Finals in Minehead.

Littler was runner-up to Keely Hodgkinson last year, but is 20/1 with one of the betting apps to go one better this year. 

Hampton Outsider For SPOTY Success

Hannah Hampton was recently crowned BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and is 33/1 to add SPOTY to her growing list of awards.

The Lionesses star, named the world’s best female goalkeeper at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, saved two penalties in the shoot-out with Spain in the European Championship final, just as she did against Sweden in the last eight.

Ellie Kildunne scored England’s first try in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final en route to a 33-13 victory over Canada and was also crowned World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year.

The 26-year-old Harlequins star from Keighley in West Yorkshire is 80/1 to win SPOTY.

Elsewhere, Lucy Bronze, who played in the Euro 2025 final with a fractured tibia, is 150/1, the same price as Lionesses team-mate Alessia Russo.