

It only had like a 1% engagement rate on that post where usually he gets like a million likes of him playing. “It was just like a picture of him holding a watch very basic. He highlighted it as a particularly bad example of a soccer player trying to leverage their social following to sell a product. “Because they're content creators, they tend to make content that's more engaging, regardless of whether it's an ad or not,” he explains.Ĭoyle examined a paid-for post by Eden Hazard advertising a watch as part of his research.
#Cristiano ronaldo instagram followers professional#
He found that in terms of engagement, choosing an influencer with a smaller audience was more effective than a professional player with a larger following. ”Ĭoyle conducted an analysis comparing paid-for social media campaigns between professional players and soccer influencers-people who have large social media followings based on soccer-related content. It doesn't matter what the post is, all the comments will be about. “If a player is not playing well he will get absolutely slated on the internet. “ has a much harsher audience than a lot of other sports,” Coyle explains. Not that it is always an effective avenue for the advertisers themselves. So the benefit of having star players with strong social media followings that brands want to use to reach their target market will be greater.

Its importance will only increase in the wake of COVID-19 and the restrictions on live events. I’ve previously told the story of Hashtag United, a fifth-tier English club formed up by YouTuber FC Spencer, that harnesses a massive online following to generate cash from online platforms and marketing tie-ups.Īt the other end of the spectrum is Manchester United who’ve managed to power extraordinary financial growth by exploiting digital platforms.Ĭommercial income from advertising, which is the main online money-spinner, amounts to close to half the total turnover at some of the largest soccer clubs. (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) Getty ImagesĪt all levels of the game digital revenue streams are altering how teams make their money. winning the Spanish league after the game during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Villarreal CF at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Jin Madrid, Spain. MADRID, SPAIN - JULY 16: Zinedine Zidane, Manager and Eden Hazard of Real Madrid CF celebrates.

His Instagram account’s reach is a bonus for the club rather than a core strength, but for Ronaldo and soccer in general, that is changing. Ronaldo has exceptional sporting abilities, he’s scored 30 goals in Serie A alone this season, nearly half of Juventus’s total.

Shares in Juventus surged by around 15% merely on the speculation that he was poised to sign and it’s been claimed he added close to €300 million ($354 million) to the club’s market value. Its social media followers numbers spiked on signing him, but more profound than that was the rise in the club’s monetary value. The year before he joined the Bianconeri got 1.8 million television viewers per game, less than 1% of the potential audience of CR7’s Instagram. This is because the Italian giants were not just bringing in a sporting asset: Ronaldo is a media channel with a global reach bigger than Juventus itself. Juventus’s acquisition of Ronaldo is a case in point, the reported €100 million ($118 million) paid by the Italian giants for a 33-year old was unprecedented.īut the Italian giants didn’t blink twice about this outlay on a player who, considering his age, is unlikely to have much if any re-sale value. The evolution has been in the way these activities are perceived by soccer itself.Īlthough some soccer veterans still consider the mere use of social media a distraction, clubs are now more willing to embrace a player who cultivates an online following. George Best traded off his star performance in the 1969 European Cup final to launch a fashion boutique in Manchester and Kevin Keegan used his back-to-back Ballon D’Or wins to flog radios. The marketing power of international soccer stars has been exploited as far back as there has been a method to use it. (Photo by Victor Carretero/Real Madrid via Getty Images) Real Madrid via Getty Images during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Apin Madrid, Spain. MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 08: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring the opening goal.
