Social media in sports has transformed the game for athletes, teams, schools, and fans. The impact is profound—use it right, and you can boost your profile with your fans, teammates, and the general public; use it wrong, and you could sabotage your reputation or even ruin your career.
Today, sports fans can follow their favorite teams and athletes via platforms like Instagram and TikTok without relying on scheduled broadcasts or daily news articles to keep up with their leagues. Instead, they can watch live streaming events, participate in real-time discussion forums, and share exclusive athlete content to get a closer look at their favorite teams. This accessibility gives casual fans a chance to engage with their favorite players and feel more connected to the sport than ever before.
As a result, some people don’t even watch live sporting events anymore and prefer to just follow the action online. According to a 2020 Sprout Social Indexopen_in_new, 45% of consumers are most likely to use social media while watching sports, with 80% saying they do so because they want to keep up with their favorite athletes and teams.
Athletes also benefit from the power of social media, allowing them to promote their personal brands, connect with fans year-round, and show off their unique personalities. Moreover, the ability to share behind-the-scenes content—like training routines and locker room banter—humanizes them, making them more relatable to fans. However, this also puts athletes under increased scrutiny to present a polished image, which can lead to exhaustion and inauthenticity.