The Sports Industry Social Media Benchmark Report
In the latest TikTok, Instagram and YouTube benchmark reports, uncover which KPIs are critical to sports brands’ social strategies.
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To win in today’s social media landscape, sports brands must understand what truly resonates with their audiences to maximize ROI and achieve lasting success. While metrics like follower count and growth rate remain essential, sports brands are focusing on metrics such as engagement, owned reach and posting cadence to gain a deeper understanding of how content is received.
Sports Industry Benchmarks and Statistics
Average Number of Followers/Subscribers
TikTok
604.6K
28.2M
Youtube
1.6M
* Follower Count data taken from the September 2024 Sports Industry Benchmarks. See the report for the full methodology.
The Average Monthly Growth Rate measures the rate at which a sports brand increases its follower count month-over-month. Brands can expect different growth trajectories per channel, with TikTok still seeing significant follower growth. Many brands in the sports industry have well-established Instagram presences, leading to a natural saturation in growth. YouTube has recently experienced growth as users increasingly shift from traditional media to social media for entertainment.
Sports Industry Highlights From Leading Brands
The sports industry excels on social media, capturing attention with high entertainment and engagement rates on Instagram, widespread appeal on TikTok and leading video views on YouTube. This success underlines the industry's ability to entertain and foster community.
Rip Curl is a TikTok hit with its action-packed surfing videos, which dazzle viewers on the algorithm and invite them to interact. Its authentic portrayal of surf culture demonstrates the effectiveness of the brand and its products, while also entertaining its community.
Rip Curl outperforms the sports industry by 50.7%.
The Masters enhances its Instagram engagement rate by sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes content and legendary golf moments. It makes full use of professional photography and exciting Reels to bring fans at home closer to the event.
The Masters outperforms the sports industry by 100%.
New Balance leads in YouTube video views by focusing on athletic performances, including its own New Balance Nationals events. By centering athletes, and young runners in particular, and focusing less on its own products, the brand succeeds in building a passionate community.
New Balance outperforms the sports industry by 78.3%.
In this Sports and Sporting Goods Industry Benchmark Report you’ll learn:
- How the sports industry captivates a vast audience on Instagram, achieving a high Entertainment Score and engagement rate.
- The widespread appeal and community engagement of the sports industry on TikTok, with potential for increased posting frequency to enhance engagement.
- The leadership of the sports industry in video views on YouTube, coupled with opportunities to boost viewer retention through more compelling content.
- Strategies for the sports industry to leverage its strong social presence, enhancing engagement and fostering a deeper community connection.
For the 2H 2024 Social Media Benchmark Reports, Dash Hudson pulled a sample of global companies across TikTok (n=1,150), Instagram (n=2,956), and YouTube (n=631), analyzing their activity between January 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024, to determine average performance against a predetermined set of KPIs. These benchmarks include handles with a minimum of 1K followers, from both customers and non-customers.