We live in the best time to be a sports fan. In the last couple of years, social media and its skyrocket to popularity have completely disrupted how people use to perceive sport. Because of social media, communication is almost instantaneous. Sports fans from across the world can join in their collective celebration for a win or succumb to the anguish over a loss. If you think about it, social media sites and platforms offer a new and exciting opportunity for people to interact and engage in the world of sports.
One dominant present in the social media space is Twitter. It was first considered a microblogging platform but over the years it has evolved in ways only very few have predicted. The sports industry didn't escape Twitter's influence. Sports fans were the first to benefit. It allowed them to quickly check the latest results in a sporting event, share their views and opinions about a particular game or athlete, and take part in online sports betting. Through the platform, fans and the once untouchable athletes have been brought closer than ever before.
Teams and athletes now have a Twitter account to keep their fans in the loop for updates, something that was completely impossible a couple of decades ago. Back then, people get their news and updates by reading the newspaper or magazines, or through the TV. Because of Twitter, even the minute details of athletes are showcased front and center.
When Facebook came into the picture, its impact wasn't far off from how Twitter impacted the world of sports. But unlike Twitter, early one Facebook was very clearly a social media platform. It connected people and allowed them to share updates. This capability extended into the world of sports. Sporting events can be shared via the platform. People can post their comments along with pictures and videos. Also similar to Twitter, the big names of sports also created their own accounts solely to interact with fans. A huge advantage of Facebook over Twitter, however, is the ability to create a page.
A Facebook page can be created by just about anyone and it can add users with similar interests. The topic could be anything; there are really no hard and fast rules about what kind of topics a page should be. Sports fans, in particular, used this freedom to create pages after pages about anything sports-related. Whether it is NBA, NFL or 토토사이트 (Totosite), fans can discuss and share pictures and videos. There are even Facebook pages dedicated to streaming live sporting events. What was once exclusive content can be shared with millions of fans through Facebook.
Right on the heels of Facebook (even though it is owned by Facebook), Instagram is closing in the gap on being the most influential social media platform in this day and age. Instagram offers a different environment where the focus is for people to share their passions - whether it's fashion, cooking, travel, photography, or art Instagram has cultivated a space where users can freely express themselves fully. With over a billion users, Instagram plays host to different accounts geared towards a wide variety of topics. The world of sports generates a huge amount of content for Instagram on a daily basis. One-third of all accounts follow at least one account that is sports-related. The platform has also become a source for news and highlights, exclusive videos, and a small glimpse into the lives of athletes and their training.
YouTube
While largely concerned with videos, many people still consider YouTube a social media platform because people are given the ability to follow other content creators and post comments on videos. Having said that, if there was one platform, that has the most impact on sports, it is YouTube. For one, because of YouTube, women's sport was brought into the foreground. It was long marginalized, receiving very little attention from the general public. But through live YouTube coverage of women's football and behind the scenes content, a lot of interest was generated for both amateur and professional women's league.
YouTube also offers fans a glimpse into what goes on in the locker room before or after a game. Allowing fans access beyond the field, track, and pitch has driven sports-related content on YouTube to popularity. Because of the platform's reach, there's barely any perception of sports stars as a distant entity that no one could reach. What was once just a poster on people's bedroom walls can now be seen in various videos, giving fans access to athlete's private lives and daily activities.
It was once predicted that because of social media holding the majority of people's attention, there is no more room for sports to exist. But through wise marketing strategies, the sports world was able to leverage their position with the use of social media and other similar platforms.
