Top Five Most Followed American Sports Teams on Social Media

Social media has changed or some would say revolutionized the way we source and consume information today. Although traditional media is still very much around and thriving, the popularity of social media is growing in leaps and bounds.

Nowadays, every stratum of society has a need for social media, from individuals, government agencies, corporations, and sports teams, many organizations have adopted the use of social media. Information dissemination is happening a lot faster with social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many more.

No doubt, sports teams have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the social media revolution because these platforms have provided avenues for them to connect and engage their fans.

There are nearly 5 billion social media accounts in the world and around a fifth of those accounts actively follow teams that compete in the four major sports leagues on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

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Social media is now embedded in the plans of most sports teams with dedicated staff to design content, branding plans, and execution.

Back in the day, fans relied on Television, Radio, and sometimes, Newspapers to be kept abreast of happenings around the team they support. But all that has changed now. Sports teams can now inform and even interact with their respective fan bases on the go and in real-time.

So, it is not surprising that they are putting a lot of effort and resources into having a virile social media department within their set-up. Big announcements, injury updates, and other pieces of information are usually disseminated on social media to keep fans engaged and get closer to their darling teams.

Interestingly, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Major League Soccer teams have some of the highest follower counts on social media for organized sports teams.

One would think that NFL teams should be ahead of the pack in terms of social media following, but that is not the case.

So, which sports teams are the leaders in terms of social media follower numbers? Let's share our list of the top five most followed teams in American sports.

1. Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are the undisputed king of social media for organized sports teams in the United States of America.

The former NBA champions have just under 40 million followers on both Instagram and Twitter.

As with the trend with teams on this list, they have more followers on IG than on Twitter. On Instagram, they have over 31 million individuals following them.

The number on Twitter is significantly lesser, but it is still a sizable figure.

Currently, the San Francisco team has the finest crop of talents in the NBA, including the hugely talented Stephen Curry.

Curry, is an important player for the team and his popularity has also been instrumental to their phenomenal social media numbers.

He is so popular that he is one of the most sought-after active sports personalities by various brands for investments and endorsement collaborations. Curry has relationships with brands such as TCL Technologies, Automobile company, Infiniti Motors, and  Rakuten just to name a few.

It has been rumoured that many betting brands are looking to have him in their corner in one capacity or the other, but the Ohio native is reportedly averse to that idea while he is still playing active Basketball.

That's not surprising given the fact that sportsbooks in the US rely on massive advertising, and popular personalities to promote their products and betting bonuses.

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But his resolve and intention not to dabble into the online sports betting business or the promotion of sportsbook bonuses were made clearer on the occasion of the launch of his investment company, SC30, at the event it became apparent (at least at the time) that the company will steer clear of CBD and online gambling.

However, with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players, which is scheduled to come into force on July 1st, 2003, players can now invest in online gambling.

The agreement could also lessen the moral burden on the likes of Curry to promote sportsbooks and their bonus offers. The agreement could also pave the way for many NBA stars including Steph Curry to invest in or float a Sportsbook that will rival the existing ones.

And of course, with his superstar status coupled with a nice bonus offer for both new and old players, it may not be too long before such a brand becomes one of the most sought-after sportsbooks in the United States.

2. LA Lakers

The LA Lakers are unarguably one of the most successful teams in the rich history of the NBA. They have a staggering 17 Championships in their title cabinet.

They are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most number of title wins, but that doesn't make their achievements on the court any less significant.

Their popularity on social media may not be unconnected with success stories over the years.

As of the last count, the Lakers have over 23 million Instagram followers and 117 million on Twitter.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers ranks highly in the league of American sports teams with the highest number of followers on social media.

Although they have not been as successful as other teams on the court, they are certainly proving their mettle in the social media space.

The Cleveland-based team has around 16 million active followers on Instagram, plus over 3 million followers on Twitter. The team won the NBA title in 2016, marking their first title since 1964.

4. Chicago Bulls

At number 4 are the Chicago Bulls, winners of multiple NBA titles. They are one of the traditional and most prominent teams in the NBA, and it is not surprising that they are in the top five of this category.

As of the time of writing this piece, the Chicago outfit has around 10 million followers on Instagram and a further 4.7 million people follow the franchise's Twitter account.

Their history as a successful NBA franchise may be partly responsible for these huge numbers on social media, but the people of Chicago support their team religiously.

5. Inter Miami CF

Coming in at number 5 is the sole MLS team on the list Inter Miami. The Florida-based soccer team has only been around for a few years but they have a massive following on both Instagram and Twitter.

On Instagram, the youngest MLS franchise boasts around 9 million followers and a Twitter following of just over 547,000'

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You would be forgiven to think that their massive numbers on social media are due to the popularity of David Beckham who is the president of the franchise.

Instead, the surge in the number of followers on both Twitter and Instagram is down to the capture of Argentine soccer star, Lionel Messi.