sports and social media in 2026 explained by travis scott talent resources and tesla
Social media changed sports in six ways: athletes became media companies, leagues followed the audience online, players took control of their own announcements, fans gained a direct voice, mental health and abuse became public issues, and brand deals became athlete-led. Cristiano Ronaldo shows the scale: he has about 679 million Instagram followers, and the NBA's social channels recorded 228 billion views in 2025-26.
Rewritten October 12, 2026. This replaces an earlier version focused on three case studies. Follower counts are from September 2026 snapshots and change daily. Part of EPR's Sports PR coverage.
How has social media changed sports?
#
Shift
Example
1
Athletes became media companies
Ronaldo's 679M Instagram followers
2
Leagues followed the audience
NBA social channels: 228B views in 2025-26
3
Athletes own their announcements
Stephen Curry's Li-Ning reveal on Instagram and X
4
Fans have a direct voice
Real-time reaction on X and Instagram during games
5
Mental health and abuse went public
Naomi Osaka's 2021 French Open withdrawal
6
Brand deals became athlete-led
Curry Brand's independence and 10-year Li-Ning deal
1. Athletes became media companies
The biggest athletes now reach audiences larger than most leagues. As of September 2026, Wikipedia's list of most-followed Instagram accounts shows Ronaldo with over 679 million followers, the most of any person, and Lionel Messi with about 517 million. Ronaldo also has about 114.5 million followers on X and 174 million on Facebook, per Wikipedia's lists of the most-followed X accounts and Facebook pages.
Takeaway: a star's own channels are a distribution network, and a brand deal buys access to it.
2. Leagues followed the audience
Leagues now measure success across broadcast, streaming and social. The NBA's social media channels generated a record 228 billion views in 2025-26, up 13%, according to Videocites as reported by Yahoo Sports, in the first year of a new 11-year media deal. EPR covers the details in NBA digital marketing: teams and players to study.
Takeaway: social video is part of the product, not a promotion for it.
3. Athletes own their announcements
Athletes no longer wait for a press release. When Stephen Curry signed a 10-year deal with Li-Ning on June 1, 2026, he announced it himself in a video posted on Instagram and X, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Takeaway: the first version of a big story is increasingly the athlete's own.
4. Fans have a direct voice
Fans react in real time on X and Instagram, tag athletes and brands, and create their own highlights. For teams, that means a game's story is written on several platforms at once. EPR's Pat McAfee profile shows how a creator-led show turned that real-time energy into a sports media business.
Takeaway: fan-made content is part of the audience and a source of risk.
5. Mental health and abuse went public
Social media gave athletes a platform and gave critics direct access to them. Naomi Osaka's 2021 decision to skip press conferences and then withdraw from the French Open, citing mental health, became a turning point in public conversation about athlete wellbeing, according to a Spots News analysis of online abuse in sport.
Takeaway: teams and agencies need support plans for online abuse, not only content plans.
6. Brand deals became athlete-led
Athletes now build their own brands and choose partners in public. Curry's Under Armour split in November 2025 and his Li-Ning deal are the clearest recent example; see EPR's Curry breakdown. Agencies such as Talent Resources also package athletes and entertainment talent for brands, covered in EPR's Mike Heller profile, celebrity marketing agencies compared and top sports agents and how they built their brands.
Takeaway: the athlete's audience, not the contract, increasingly sets the deal.
What should sports brands do now?
Step
Why
Plan for several platforms
Audiences are split across Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok and broadcast
Work with the athlete's own channel
The athlete's audience is often larger than the team's or sponsor's
Prepare for abuse and crises
Visibility brings criticism, so have a response plan
Disclose partnerships clearly
FTC rules cover athlete endorsements as well as influencers
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most-followed athlete on Instagram?
Cristiano Ronaldo, with about 679 million followers as of September 2026, ahead of Lionel Messi at about 517 million, according to Wikipedia's list.
How has social media changed sports marketing?
Athletes now run their own channels, announce deals themselves and choose brand partners in public, while leagues measure success in social views as well as broadcast ratings.
How many social views did the NBA get in 2025-26?
The NBA's social media channels generated a record 228 billion views, up 13% from the previous season, according to Videocites as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Why did Naomi Osaka withdraw from the 2021 French Open?
She declined mandatory press conferences and then withdrew, citing mental health, which prompted wide discussion of athlete wellbeing and online pressure. Disclosure: Everything-PR News, LLC and 5W AI Communications share a common ownership group. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
