Champions League tops social media ranking

The UEFA Champions League holds the largest combined social media audience in world sport, reaching 321,6 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

Research by Sportingpedia ranks the most followed leagues and tournaments globally, highlighting football’s continued dominance and a close contest between leading domestic competitions.

The Premier League stands as the most followed domestic league with 218,4 million combined followers, narrowly ahead of the National Basketball Association on 214,0 million. Seven organisations exceed 100 million followers across the four platforms, underlining the scale of global sports brands online.

Global competitions build multi-platform scale

Instagram provides the largest share of the Champions League’s audience, accounting for 121,0 million followers. Facebook adds 94,0 million, while TikTok contributes 54,1 million and X 52,5 million, giving Europe’s top club competition the broadest cross-platform footprint in the dataset.

The Premier League follows with strong audiences on Instagram at 79,9 million and Facebook at 69,0 million. Its 44,9 million followers on X reinforce its position among the most established sports brands on that platform, while TikTok delivers 24,6 million.

Basketball and global tournaments hold strong positions

The NBA remains the largest non-football organisation in the ranking. Instagram drives its reach with 90,2 million followers, supported by 52,0 million on Facebook and 46,0 million on X. TikTok adds 25,8 million, reflecting the league’s ability to convert player visibility into sustained digital engagement.

The FIFA World Cup ranks fourth overall with 160,9 million followers. Facebook leads its platform mix at 66,0 million, followed by Instagram at 54,0 million. TikTok contributes 28,3 million and X 12,6 million as the 2026 tournament approaches.

Combat sports and American football exceed 100 million

The Ultimate Fighting Championship sits among the organisations surpassing 100 million followers, reflecting the global reach of mixed martial arts across social platforms.

The National Football League ranks sixth with 112,2 million followers. X represents one of its strongest channels at 35,9 million, complemented by 32,9 million on Instagram, 23,0 million on Facebook and 20,4 million on TikTok.

Cricket and motorsport maintain global audiences

The International Cricket Council records 110,1 million followers, confirming its position as cricket’s leading global body online. Facebook accounts for 48,0 million, with Instagram at 32,8 million and X at 26,1 million. TikTok remains comparatively limited at 3,2 million.

Formula 1 ranks eighth with 81,4 million followers. Instagram leads at 41,0 million, followed by Facebook at 15,0 million, TikTok at 13,6 million and X at 11,8 million, as the series prepares for its 2026 season and regulatory cycle.

North American leagues form second tier

Major League Baseball places ninth with 45,3 million followers, ahead of the National Hockey League on 22,3 million. Both competitions show relatively balanced distribution across the four platforms.

Major League Soccer follows with 21,3 million, while The Championships, Wimbledon stands at 20,9 million, maintaining its position as the highest-ranked tennis property in the study.

Specialist tours and emerging properties

The PGA Tour records 17,0 million followers, closely aligned with NASCAR Cup Series on 16,7 million, both forming part of the ranking’s mid-tier.

Volleyball World reaches 12,21 million followers, with a platform mix weighted heavily toward Facebook and TikTok. The Tour de France follows on 11,1 million, showing an even spread across channels.

At the lower end of the table, the EuroLeague records 3,8 million followers, marking a sharp drop once global mainstream competitions fall away.

Paul Kemp, data analyst and head of content, Sportingpedia: "Football still sets the global pace, but the order behind it keeps shifting as leagues and organisations compete across Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok."

The full report can be accessed here

ww.sportingpedia.com

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