Why Sports Social Media Is Media Inventory, Not Marketing - Amoh Sports Media | A Column by Nana Kofi Amoh

Nana Kofi Amoh

Oct 20262 min read

Editor's Note

Amoh Sports Media is a syndicated column by Nana Kofi Amoh — creator of Amoh Sports Media and an ad-tech insider with buy- and sell-side publishing experience. This piece addresses a critical blind spot in modern sports business: why professional franchises must stop treating short-form social content as mere marketing noise and start packaging social engagement alongside live game broadcasts as unified, premium media inventory.

Social media has always served as a primary channel for delivering content and information quickly and seamlessly. The same holds true for professional sports leagues and teams. As sports fans, we do not just want to catch game highlights on a Reel; we also want to see what other teams are doing through pre- and post-game content.

The Battle for Short-Form Attention

As leagues and teams continue building their social media presence, they are competing directly against one another for engagement and views. The harsh reality of modern content consumption is that attention spans are short. Viewers watch a 15-second video post and immediately scroll to the next piece of content served by the algorithm.

However, if teams can master short-form content regardless of the platform, it can translate to viewers sticking around to watch longer-form content that lasts two and a half minutes. For brands and advertisers, there is no better opportunity to capture screen time than on social media.

Star Talent as Engagement Drivers

According to Mondo Metrics, across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter/X, the New York Yankees (8.25M), Los Angeles Lakers (8.47M), and San Jose Sharks (1.30M) led MLB, NBA, and NHL teams, respectively, in total engagements over the past month. Of the three, the NHL's San Jose Sharks are an emerging franchise highlighted by Macklin Celebrini, a 20-year-old rising Canadian star who signed the highest AAV extension in league history this offseason before Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (who rank third in the NHL in total engagements) signed his shortly after.

Featuring star talent ties users closer to the franchise, offering fans inside access to players outside of the field or ice.

At the league level, MLB and the NBA rank #1 and #2 in total engagement and views, but the NHL leads in engagement rate at 10.84% despite being in its offseason. Although the NHL may not garner as many total views as MLB or the NBA, its users capitalize on what the league posts and remain deeply engaged ahead of the 2026–2027 season.

Platform Dynamics: Reels vs. Reach

Diving deeper into specific platforms, Instagram leads the way in engagement for each league by a wide margin ahead of TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter/X. Looking at views, however, distribution across these platforms is far more diverse.

Whether through Reels, standard posts, images, videos, or carousels, users regularly share content with family and friends. That organic sharing alone unlocks opportunities to reach new and unique eyes, helping teams understand how different demographics consume social content.

Unifying Social and Broadcast Inventory

Views and engagements are readily available for brands looking to drive conversions across different platforms. If teams can generate millions of views outside of the actual game broadcast, as Mondo Metrics illustrates, that social audience should be treated as a core component of the team’s media business.

Instead of separating live broadcasts from highlights and social clips, they should be packaged together as a single, unified media ecosystem powered by one central driver: fandom. When teams adopt this mindset, they will not only attract more users across social channels, but also create far more value for their brand partners.