🏟 We ranked the most followed pro sports teams on TikTok

Welcome to SBV’s first public edition of our Sports Industry Weekly newsletter. Every Friday morning, we'll share the insights from the sports industry’s most significant business headlines.

UTAH JAZZ ARE THE 3RD MOST FOLLOWED PRO SPORTS TEAM ON TIKTOK!

With a potential domestic TikTok ban in the future, we ranked the most followed sports teams on the Gen Z favorite platform.

Golden State Warriors at #1. No surprise.

The Kansas City Chiefs at #2. No surprise there either, the Swifties love TikTok.

The Utah Jazz at #3, ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and ALL of the NHL?! Was not expecting that.

This list showcases the growing impact of social media in sports marketing. The Jazz’s social team has been winning on TikTok as they flex their creative strengths and community management. Great content means more impressions, which equals more team revenue, which creates more opportunities for the franchise.

But with the uncertainty surrounding TikTok's future in the U.S., it's crucial for those in sports social media and marketing to remain agile and adapt to changing platforms and trends. Sports content creators, social media strategists and brand marketers will need to shift priorities in their multi-channel approach if TikTok does officially get banned.

Do you think TikTok will get banned? Which social platform do you prefer following your favorite teams on? Reply and let us know!

QUICK READS AND LINKS ICYMI:

• 🏀 Sue Bird Speaks on The Growth of Female Athletes and Branding at The Business of Women's Sport Summit

• 🦚 NBC Bids $2.5 Billion Media Deal To Take The NBA Away from TNT

• 🐻 Chicago Bear's New Stadium & Lakefront Legacy Project Will Bring 4,200 Regional Sports Jobs To Area

• 🥃 Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, and Michael Strahan Invest In Michael Jordan's Cincoro Tequila

WE HAVE OUR EYES AND EARS ON THE FOLLOWING:

• Utah’s New NHL Team Name: Hockey is officially in Utah and the yet-to-be-renamed team has hired a branding firm to develop the official team name, logo and visuals. Entrepreneur and team owner Ryan Smith (he also owns the Utah Jazz, MLS’s Real Salt Lake Blitzer and NWSL’s Utah Royals) has alluded to a bracket-style system for fans to vote on their favorite. What do you think the team should be named?

• Uninterrupted Film Festival: LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s athlete empowerment brand announced their 2nd annual film festival and are seeking the next generation of filmmakers to submit their projects that share unique athlete stories in a narrative or documentary-style film. The selection committee includes LBJ, Joel Embiid and Naomi Osaka. The deadline is May 31st — submit here.

• Candace Parker’s Future: The 3x WNBA Champion announced her retirement and will be focusing on her businesses. She’s a 🐐 on the court and is already a legend off the court. We’re excited to see what she does next. In her own words:

CELEBRATING WINS ACROSS THE SPORTS INDUSTRY:

🎉 Congrats to Izzie Ayer (NBA), Avery Masoner (Houston Royals), Joshua Sanchez (Los Angeles Sparks) and Kailie Hargis (Sacramento River Cats) on their new roles in the sports industry!

DID YOU SEE THIS? 👀

This is a prime example of a marketing campaign gone wrong.

Before Game 5 of the Mavericks and Clippers series, Skyscanner tried to troll Dallas fans by placing this billboard outside of Crypto.com Arena. But the Mavs got the last laugh in a dominating win and now Clippers fans are a game away from needing LAX to Cancun flights.

According to Clippers representatives: “The billboard at L.A. Live is not owned or operated by the Clippers. We have the utmost respect for our opponents and in no way endorse this message.”

As brands outside of sports aim to connect with the rapidly growing audience of sports fans, we recommend:

• Build an internal sports marketing department — they could’ve advised better timing, especially considering it wasn’t even an elimination game.

• Hire a sports marketing agency that specializes in negotiating official team partnerships. This would’ve allowed Skyscanner to work directly with the LA Clippers on creative, media placements and an in-arena activation.

• At the very least — take this concept to another arena that you’re 99.9% confident the team would win the series. Picture this: “Miami to Cancun” billboard directly outside of TD Garden as the Celtics advanced past the Heat.

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