| Spectacular FIBA social media numbers seal record-breaking year of success |
The record-breaking numbers across @FIBA channels, which include Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Sina Weibo, Douyin, WeChat, Toutiao and Kuaishou see FIBA ranked #1 for engagement and video views among Olympic International Federations, according to leading analytics platform Blinkfire.
Engagements witnessed a 99.4 percent increase from 85 million to 169.6 million, while video views rocketed, with a new high of 2.4 billion, representing an increase of more than a third at 33.5 percent from the 1.82 billion during the previous calendar year.
Similarly, the appetite for basketball content was evident in the ever-increasing number of followers being attracted to @FIBA channels. They grew 28 percent to 24.1 million from 18.9 million. FIBA’s extensive social media ecosystem encompasses over 25 event and regional verticals, with nearly 100 accounts providing coverage of basketball in every corner of the globe.
Factoring in the broader suite of social media channels under the FIBA banner for specific competitions and regions, the consolidated numbers are even more impressive. This includes the outstanding social media numbers of FIBA 3×3 for the 2023 season, with the demand for content at an all-time high for the discipline.
For all FIBA accounts, there was an increase of 129.6 percent in engagements compared to 2022, with the new headline number soaring skywards to 339.5 million engagements. The 5.1 billion video views marked an increase of 60.6 percent, and there were 49.1 million followers – up 25.6 percent on the prior year.
A key driver for the amazing growth across all social platforms was the stellar success of the showpiece FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which generated intense interest globally for the sport. Widely heralded as the best FIBA event in history, the way it engaged with existing fans and attracted new fans to the sport was exceptional.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 earned a breathtaking 4.6 billion video views, 480 million engagements and 20 billion impressions, on both owned and earned channels, to leave a lasting and indelible footprint.
“We are all thrilled by 2023 returning such impressive social media numbers and underlining how more people than ever are following and engaging with the sport,” stated FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis.
“Attracting even more followers and new fans is vital if we want to meet our aim of continually growing basketball globally.
“Our digital platforms are more than keeping pace with the different ways that people want to consume basketball across multiple channels right around the world. That is also why FIBA is so dedicated to embracing new technology and innovations in our sport,” concluded Zagklis.
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About FIBA
FIBA (fiba.basketball) – the world governing body for basketball, is an independent association formed by 212 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
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Frederick Marfo is a sportswriter and social worker well known for his advocacy for equal chances and rights for all athletes, especially those with disabilities.
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