Dunking into Data: NBA Trends in Social Media and Sponsorship

We’re only two weeks into the 2023-24 NBA season and already have so much to talk about! The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and defending champion Denver Nuggets are off to great starts on the hardwood. When it comes to social media and sponsorships, NBA teams have been busier than ever!

Dive into team engagement rankings, the NEW In-Season Tournament, jersey patch sponsors, Halloween content, and best practices on social trends like ‘Player Arrival’ campaigns.

Global Ranking: Top 5 teams by Total Engagement 

Large-market and successful teams are usually going to perform well on social, but in the first two weeks the Golden State Warriors are driving social media engagement. The Warriors have more than 7 million more engagements than the Los Angeles Lakers, a difference that makes up more than the total engagements for the third highest ranked team, the Boston Celtics. Golden State is a great team enjoying an impressive dynasty and Steph Curry is one of the most popular athletes of this generation with a massive global following.

Global Ranking: Top 5 Teams Total Engagement/Followers

Total engagement/followers measures teams based on a percentage of their following. This helps teams better understand how they are performing based on the size of their social media following. Teams that have large followings might earn more engagements, but if they don’t rank high in engagement/followers they will have opportunity to improve. Our friends at the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers both rank in the top five for this metric despite their large-market audience!

Global Ranking: Top 5 teams by Jersey Patch Engagement

When it comes to jersey patch exposure, the Warriors, Lakers, Celtics, Mavericks, and Bulls are driving the most engagement for their partners during the first two weeks of the 2023-24 NBA season. These teams drive engagement on social, but they also do a great job of framing photography and social images and videos where their patch partner is clearly visible. The Chicago Bulls and our friends at the Dallas Mavericks don’t rank in the top five in terms of total engagement, but they are in the top five for jersey patch exposure because of their social posting strategies. Check out every team’s jersey patch and industry breakdowns in our full NBA jersey patch blog.

In-Season Tournament

The NBA’s introduction of an in-season tournament is a transformative enhancement to the league’s format, infusing the regular season with the thrilling energy of competing for a trophy. Created to provide extra motivation and entertainment, this tournament not only provides teams with an opportunity to vie for additional accolades but also assures an exciting fan experience with high-stakes matches. It epitomizes the NBA’s dedication to advancing and enriching the fan journey while elevating the standard of competition throughout the season. Check out this post highlighting the distinctive In-Season Tournament courts for each team, proudly featuring their respective sponsors!

Player Arrivals – Best Practices

‘Player Arrival” posts are one of the hottest pieces of content in the NBA right now! Teams sell these popular social posts featuring players walking into the arena in their pre-game fits. Blinkfire’s AI and computer vision content categorization automatically tags scenes. This makes it easy and efficient for social and content teams to track, review, and report on scenes like player arrivals, score graphics, and game preview posts.

Fans love the behind-the-scene glimpses into the lives of their favorite players and their unique fashion. The teams that make the most of this trend place the presenting partner logo around the arena tunnel to create maximum exposure. Teams are also using LED signs, ‘red carpet style’ rugs, and wall murals to create artistic sponsored backdrops. If we go back even a couple of years, teams were solely using digital overlays for player arrivals; now they have turned creative and innovative in how they place sponsors around their content.

If you’re a professional sports team and you’re not creating and selling ‘player arrival’ posts, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon! Get inspired by these awesome examples from NBA teams that have sold ‘player arrival’ posts.

Halloween Content

Players across the league leaned into the spooky season by dressing up as scary, magical, and hilarious characters before their Halloween night games. One Instagram post by the NBA featuring Victor Wembanyama dressed as Slenderman received 2.4 million engagements!

The commitment to fan engagement is the lifeblood of the NBA’s success. As we’ve delved into NBA team engagement rankings, explored the new In-Season Tournament, witnessed the influence of jersey patch sponsors, celebrated creative Halloween content, and learned from best practices in social trends such as ‘Player Arrival’ campaigns, one thing remains abundantly clear: the NBA continues to adapt to the digital world. By embracing innovation, cultivating partnerships, and harnessing the power of social media, the league demonstrates its unwavering dedication to delighting fans worldwide.

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