Philippines, November 2020 –Being on top of the latest score, ranking, or event is important for sports fans, that’s why they go to Twitter to get updates in real-time. When live sporting events were cancelled, Twitter also became an outlet for passionate fans to connect to their communities and favorite athletes.
Sports is a powerful topic on Twitter. The Last Dance (#TheLastDance) was aired during the strongest lockdown period, but it was still a staple in sports conversations; its Tweet announcement was even the most-viewed with 6.2M views globally. And when sports came back in some countries in APAC, the conversations jumped to 59% from May 2020 to June 2020; reflecting fans’ excitement upon the return of their fave sporting events.
“Twitter and sports have brought out the best of each other for years,” said Maurizio Barbieri, Head of Sports and Gaming Partnerships for SEA and Greater China at Twitter.“During this time, when sports fans can’t go to the events in person, they’ve turned Twitter into the largest sports venue in the world. The passion of sports fans on Twitter has never been higher, and the experience has never been better – any fans that are not yet on Twitter may not be getting the full experience.”
Right now, Twitter is the only place that fans can watch and talk about sports and sports conversations have reached new heights. In the Philippines, there were 7.8M Tweets about sports in Q1-Q2, and it increased 3M more upon Q3. Basketballalso remains immensely popular as every season draws a legion of passionate fans. In fact, the 2020 NBA season generated almost 230K Tweets in the Philippines from September 30-October 11, 2020.
From tambak bente to panalo pa ng tatlo.
Eto yung nakakamiss eh. PBA is back na talaga. Congrats Magnolia Hotshots 🐔🏀🔥
— Maykel Cabs (@maykelcabs) October 14, 2020
With sports fans relying on Twitter now more than ever, here’s how Twitter can enhance your fan experience no matter what league you’re interested in:
1. Get a headstart with whom to Follow
Whether you’re a diehard Basketball, Volleyball, or Boxing fan, following the right conversations on Twitter will make you an expert at whatever you’re looking for. Twitter Topics are the best way to find these conversations.
There are plenty of choices to satisfy your sports fix:
● You can follow the main topic, Sports, to get the latest news in all things sports.
● If you’re only interested in your favourite athletes, you can zero in on topics just for LeBron Jamesor Conor McGregor.
● If you’re up to discovering new sports or teams, there are topics for MMA, Skateboarding, and other sporting events like the Olympics!
2. Take your knowledge to the next level
Improve your fan knowledge by getting the information straight from the people who make the headlines themselves. By following them on Twitter, you can see into their day-to-day lives, hear about their thoughts on the sport, and everything else that they want to share, as it unfolds.
Get updated on just about anything by following players, coaches, and team executives. Follow team accounts for all the official updates you need, such as player highlights, schedules, awards, off-field team activities, and latest merch updates. Also follow the media to get behind-the-scenes scoops on what’s happening with your favorite sports and teams.
If that seems like a lot, then we have a tip for you: Follow Lists. A List is a curated group of Twitter accounts that anyone on Twitter can create and can help you find even more good stuff to follow.
For example, fans of Barangay Ginebra created a list including the players so they can easily be updated about the team on and off-court. By following the list, you can see the accounts and get the updates without adding it to your timeline. Here are some Tweets for the said list:
Good thinylg that there is this @jdv_38 vlog in which we as ginebra fans get updated. Thank you much captain. We salute and appreciate of what you are doing. Continue in doing so
— NewNormalGinebra2020 (@babyme2021) October 20, 2020
It’s been too long! Man I had so much fun playing tonight. Hats off to NLEX, those guys played hard tonight. Back to the bubble.
— Jared Dillinger (@JDaredevil2) October 11, 2020
3. Join the conversation yourself
Nothing amplifies an energizing match like the live commentary and discussions on Twitter worldwide. Use Hashtags to join in the conversation and make sure your Tweet can be seen by fellow fans. The Hashtag, or # symbol, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet, and can help categorise Tweets and can help you immediately see all of the Tweets that mention the same hashtags.
For example, fans of the Philippine Basketball Association (@pbaconnect) can follow hashtags such as#PBATuloyAngLaban, #PBABubble, and#PBA2020to know all the action in and out of the PBA court.
https://twitter.com/dyenikaaaaa/status/1315269030203338752
No matter which team you support, or which sport gets your blood pumping, Twitter is the roar of the stadium. Join in the action by starting a conversation on Twitter today!
