The Connection Between Fan Engagement, Social Media, and Team Success
Presenter(s)
Ryan B. Beers
Abstract
In their study exploring how female sports fans observe and select fan characteristics, Sveinson and Hoeber (2014) defined a “sports fan” as one “who follows many sports, leagues and/or teams.” (Sveinson & Hoeber, 2014, p. 406). In today’s digital age, social media has become a crucial platform for sports fans to express their fandom and connect with other like-minded individuals. A 2023 study by Matang, Suryadi, Darmawan, and Anggraeni found that social media is crucial for fans to be able express their fandom and engage with sports-related content (Matang, Suryadi, Darmawan, & Anggraeni, 2023). Fans use social media to share their opinions and experiences, creating a sense of community among supporters (Matang et. al., 2023). Overall, social media has reshaped the dynamics of sports fandom, making it more interactive and accessible (Matang et. al., 2023). A 2023 study by Steiner, Pittman, and Boatwright gathered survey data from 452 U.S. sports fans’ about their social media engagement with their favorite teams across six popular platforms for two different situations, in-game and out-of-game. In their study, they found a relationship between fans' social media engagement behavior (SMEB) and their purchase intention (PI). Interestingly, the type of engagement that best predicts PI differs based on the context of “In-game” or “Out-of-game.” Many major professional teams use social media campaigns for direct sales, capitalizing on fans' desire for immediate information and connection (Steiner et al,. 2023). A recent study by Romero-Jara et al., (2024) found that Instagram is the top platform for generating fan engagement in sports. Their study analyzed 10,772 posts and revealed that Instagram consistently outperformed Facebook and Twitter in engagement (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). Various content formats on Instagram, such as image and video combinations, significantly enhance engagement levels (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). This is credited to Instagram’s audio-visual nature, which fosters stronger emotional connections with users (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). However, nobody has compared NBA and NFL fan engagement. RQ1: What types of posts drive the most fan engagement? RQ2: Do different types of posts drive fan engagement more than others? This study, a quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis; utilized 50 randomly chosen Instagram posts from the official Instagram accounts of teams who played in the 2024 NBA Finals (Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks) as well as both teams who played in Super Bowl LIX in 2025 (Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs). The posts were selected from the 2025 NFL playoffs and the 2024 NBA Playoffs. After randomly choosing the Instagram posts from each team, each post was analyzed using the coding system defined and designed by Romero-Jara et al., (2024), who used it to analyze the engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments of previous Championship contending teams. This study analyzed the account metrics of each of the teams, such as the total number of posts made by the account, total number of followers, and total number accounts that the team’s account is following.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Communication Studies
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Tammy Swenson-Lepper
Start Date
4-24-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
4-24-2025 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
3
The Connection Between Fan Engagement, Social Media, and Team Success
In their study exploring how female sports fans observe and select fan characteristics, Sveinson and Hoeber (2014) defined a “sports fan” as one “who follows many sports, leagues and/or teams.” (Sveinson & Hoeber, 2014, p. 406). In today’s digital age, social media has become a crucial platform for sports fans to express their fandom and connect with other like-minded individuals. A 2023 study by Matang, Suryadi, Darmawan, and Anggraeni found that social media is crucial for fans to be able express their fandom and engage with sports-related content (Matang, Suryadi, Darmawan, & Anggraeni, 2023). Fans use social media to share their opinions and experiences, creating a sense of community among supporters (Matang et. al., 2023). Overall, social media has reshaped the dynamics of sports fandom, making it more interactive and accessible (Matang et. al., 2023). A 2023 study by Steiner, Pittman, and Boatwright gathered survey data from 452 U.S. sports fans’ about their social media engagement with their favorite teams across six popular platforms for two different situations, in-game and out-of-game. In their study, they found a relationship between fans' social media engagement behavior (SMEB) and their purchase intention (PI). Interestingly, the type of engagement that best predicts PI differs based on the context of “In-game” or “Out-of-game.” Many major professional teams use social media campaigns for direct sales, capitalizing on fans' desire for immediate information and connection (Steiner et al,. 2023). A recent study by Romero-Jara et al., (2024) found that Instagram is the top platform for generating fan engagement in sports. Their study analyzed 10,772 posts and revealed that Instagram consistently outperformed Facebook and Twitter in engagement (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). Various content formats on Instagram, such as image and video combinations, significantly enhance engagement levels (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). This is credited to Instagram’s audio-visual nature, which fosters stronger emotional connections with users (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). However, nobody has compared NBA and NFL fan engagement. RQ1: What types of posts drive the most fan engagement? RQ2: Do different types of posts drive fan engagement more than others? This study, a quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis; utilized 50 randomly chosen Instagram posts from the official Instagram accounts of teams who played in the 2024 NBA Finals (Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks) as well as both teams who played in Super Bowl LIX in 2025 (Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs). The posts were selected from the 2025 NFL playoffs and the 2024 NBA Playoffs. After randomly choosing the Instagram posts from each team, each post was analyzed using the coding system defined and designed by Romero-Jara et al., (2024), who used it to analyze the engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments of previous Championship contending teams. This study analyzed the account metrics of each of the teams, such as the total number of posts made by the account, total number of followers, and total number accounts that the team’s account is following.
