Sports Social Media Trends 2023: What Worked (+ 2025 Lessons)
Originally published April 2023. Updated October 2025 with outcome analysis and lessons learned.
In April 2023, we published predictions about the year's biggest sports marketing trends. Now, nearly three years later, it's time for honest analysis. Which predictions actually happened? Which ones failed? And most importantly, what do these outcomes teach us about building effective strategies in 2025 and beyond?
This retrospective examines each 2023 trend through the lens of what actually occurred, identifies brands that executed well, and extracts actionable lessons for current marketers navigating an even more complex landscape.
The value isn't in being right or wrong about 2023. It's in understanding why certain trends succeeded, why others faded, and how those patterns inform smarter decision making today.
Trend 1: Short form vertical video dominance
What we predicted in 2023: Short form vertical formats like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts would dominate sports marketing, with the recommendation to commit to daily videos for 60 days focusing on 7-30 second clips.
Outcome analysis: Validated and accelerated
What actually happened: This prediction wasn't just correct. It understated the shift. By 2024-2025, short form vertical video became the primary content format for sports properties globally. TikTok matured exactly as predicted, with over 60% of users now aged 30+. Instagram Reels overtook feed posts as the dominant engagement driver. YouTube Shorts reached 70 billion daily views by 2024.
Success examples 2023-2024:
F1 built TikTok following to 12.5M+ through daily behind the scenes content and driver personality clips
NBA generated 28 billion Reels views in 2023-2024 season through highlights and player moments
WNBA used short form video strategy to drive 201% viewership increase, particularly reaching younger demographics
What we learned (2025 lesson): The "daily posting" recommendation was conservative. Winners in 2025 post 5-15 times daily across platforms. But volume alone isn't enough. Our 2026 sports marketing trends analysis shows AI tools now enable this volume while maintaining quality, but only if you've got proper creative systems.
The strategic insight for 2025: Short form video isn't a tactic anymore. It's your primary distribution channel. Properties still treating it as supplementary content are losing attention wars to competitors who rebuilt entire content operations around vertical formats.
Trend 2: Google's helpful content focus
What we predicted in 2023: Google's Helpful Content Update would reward content answering genuine fan questions rather than SEO gaming, with advice to focus on fewer, more helpful pages.
Outcome analysis: Correct direction, but AI changed everything
What actually happened: The Helpful Content Update rolled out as predicted. But the bigger shift came in 2024-2025 with AI overviews and SearchGPT reshaping search behaviour entirely. Google's emphasis on genuinely useful content intensified, but the definition of "helpful" evolved dramatically as AI summaries began answering queries without clicks.
Success examples 2023-2024:
The Athletic maintained strong organic traffic by focusing on deep analysis AI couldn't replicate
Sports Business Journal increased search visibility through comprehensive data journalism
Individual sports consultants gained organic reach through detailed tactical content
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 advice to create "helpful content" was directionally right but tactically incomplete. In 2025, helpful content must also be AI resistant. Surface level answers get absorbed into AI overviews. Deep expertise, original data and unique perspectives still drive clicks.
As our 2026 trends report explores, AI is now infrastructure for content creation, but human expertise in sports marketing strategy remains the differentiator that search engines and readers reward.
Trend 3: User generated content and influencer marketing
What we predicted in 2023: UGC and influencer partnerships would grow, with specific focus on nano influencers (1-10k followers) achieving 5.6% engagement rates, plus TikTok Spark Ads for amplification.
Outcome analysis: Massively validated but evolved
What actually happened: This trend accelerated beyond projections. Influencer marketing in sports grew from experiment to essential channel. Nano and micro influencers proved even more valuable than predicted, with some achieving 8-12% engagement rates in sports niches. But the bigger evolution was athletes becoming media companies themselves.
Success examples 2023-2024:
Gymshark built £1B+ valuation largely through athlete influencer partnerships
Prime (Logan Paul and KSI) captured UFC and Arsenal sponsorships through influencer founder credibility
Athletes like LeBron James launched SpringHill Company, becoming media producers not just spokespeople
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 framing of "working with influencers" was too passive. By 2025, the strategic question isn't whether to use influencer marketing but whether your athletes should become influencers themselves.
Our analysis of 2026 DTC streaming trends shows 55% of fans now follow athletes for non sport content. The implication: athlete owned media isn't alternative marketing. It's primary distribution that properties either enable or get disrupted by.
Trend 4: Wrexham AFC and documentary driven marketing
What we predicted in 2023: The Wrexham AFC documentary success (364% Twitter growth, 670% Instagram growth, $3.2M revenue) would inspire other properties to use behind the scenes content for global reach.
Outcome analysis: Correct but market saturated fast
What actually happened: Wrexham's "Welcome to Wrexham" success triggered documentary overproduction. By 2024-2025, every sport had multiple docuseries. Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and YouTube all expanded sports documentary slates. The format worked initially but audience attention fragmented as supply exploded.
Success examples 2023-2024:
F1: Drive to Survive maintained momentum through Season 6, credited with 40% viewership growth in US
Full Swing (PGA) generated significant buzz but couldn't replicate F1's cultural impact
Break Point (Tennis) performed moderately, showing format fatigue setting in
What we learned (2025 lesson): The Wrexham playbook worked once. Copying it directly didn't work for most. The 2025 lesson isn't "make a documentary." It's "own your narrative through owned content at scale."
As our 2026 content trends analysis explains, the documentary moment passed. Winners now focus on daily owned content through YouTube channels, podcasts and social platforms rather than hoping Netflix will tell their story.
Trend 5: Brands as creative partners (Callaway and Good Good)
What we predicted in 2023: Callaway's partnership with Good Good Golf (1.1M YouTube subscribers) showed brands empowering creators as creative directors rather than just sponsors.
Outcome analysis: Became dominant sponsorship model
What actually happened: This trend became standard practice across sports marketing by 2024-2025. Traditional logo sponsorships decreased while integrated content partnerships proliferated. Brands stopped buying placement and started buying creative partnership with content creators who understood their audiences better than marketing departments.
Success examples 2023-2024:
Liquid Death partnered with action sports creators, generating 5-6x engagement rates versus beverage category averages
DraftKings integrated with sports gambling content creators, building authentic reach
Numerous equipment brands followed Callaway's model, making creators equity partners not just spokespeople
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 Callaway example was early signal of fundamental shift. By 2025, the smartest sponsorships aren't transactional. They're equity partnerships where brands and creators share risk and reward.
Our 2026 analysis of non traditional sponsorships shows wellness and finance brands using this model most effectively, with authentic creator partnerships generating 45% higher brand awareness than traditional placements.
Trend 6: Enhanced matchday and non matchday engagement
What we predicted in 2023: Sports properties would use digital platforms, AR and VR to enhance matchday experiences and connect with fans between games.
Outcome analysis: Partially correct, execution varied wildly
What actually happened: The strategic direction was right. The tactical execution was inconsistent. Properties that invested in genuine fan experience innovation saw results. Those that bolted on tech gimmicks wasted budgets. AR and VR adoption was slower than predicted for mass audiences but found profitable niches.
Success examples 2023-2024:
Cosm video domes created genuine immersive experiences, seeing 25% ticket sales increases through 2024
UFC 306 at Sphere generated $20M through AR enhanced broadcasts
NBA AR app with gamified features drove 25% engagement increase
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 prediction that "AR and VR would enhance experiences" was directionally right but lacked specificity about when and for whom. By 2025, the lesson is clearer: immersive tech works when it solves real problems (accessibility, engagement depth) not when it's novelty for novelty's sake.
Our 2026 immersive technology analysis shows 35% of fans willing to pay premium for genuine immersive experiences, but they can distinguish authentic value from tech gimmicks immediately.
Trend 7: Crypto, NFTs, VR and metaverse
What we predicted in 2023: Digital advancements including cryptocurrencies, NFTs, VR and metaverse would create novel fan engagement avenues, citing SailGP's DAO team as example.
Outcome analysis: Partially failed, then evolved into utility
What actually happened: This was our most wrong prediction in framing, though eventually correct in substance. The 2023 hype around crypto, NFTs and metaverse crashed hard. NFT trading volumes collapsed 97% from 2022 peaks. Metaverse investments stalled. But by 2024-2025, blockchain applications that solved real problems (authentication, fractional ownership, fan governance) quietly succeeded.
Success examples 2023-2024:
Scottie Pippen's $BALL project tokenised 1991 championship basketball as real world asset with genuine utility
LaLiga and CoinW used blockchain for regional fan engagement in Asia Pacific with tangible benefits
Manchester City saw 30% higher engagement from token holders through governance utility
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 prediction that these technologies would reshape sports marketing was right. The assumption that speculation would drive adoption was catastrophically wrong. By 2025, blockchain in sports memorabilia moved from hype to utility, focusing on solving counterfeit problems and enabling fractional ownership.
The critical lesson: Don't chase technology trends. Identify real fan problems and use appropriate technology to solve them.
Trend 8: Behind the scenes documentaries (expanded analysis)
What we predicted in 2023: Netflix's focus on sports documentaries like "Drive to Survive" and "Break Point" would inspire more properties to create behind the scenes content.
Outcome analysis: Format succeeded, then saturated
What actually happened: Covered in Trend 4 analysis above. The documentary format worked initially but market saturation reduced individual impact. The strategic lesson evolved from "make documentaries" to "own your narrative through daily content."
What we learned (2025 lesson): By 2025, the real winners aren't waiting for Netflix. They're building owned YouTube channels, podcasts and social content at scale. Our 2026 DTC streaming analysis shows athletes and properties becoming media companies themselves, with 90M US streaming viewers projected by end of 2025.
Trend 9: Ethical sponsorships and purpose driven marketing
What we predicted in 2023: Sports marketers would increasingly align with socially responsible partners and purpose driven campaigns to resonate with socially conscious fans.
Outcome analysis: Correct but complicated by greenwashing fatigue
What actually happened: Ethical sponsorships and sustainability commitments did become requirements, not nice to haves. By 2024-2025, 82% of sponsors required measurable environmental commitments from properties. But simultaneously, audiences developed severe greenwashing fatigue, making authentic execution critical.
Success examples 2023-2024:
Paris 2024 Olympics achieved carbon neutral status, generating 15% ROI boost for aligned sponsors like Coca Cola
Barclays doubled Women's Super League investment after sustainability pledges
Patagonia style authenticity became benchmark, with audiences punishing obvious greenwashing
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 prediction that purpose driven marketing would matter was correct. What we underestimated was how sophisticated audiences would become at detecting inauthenticity. By 2025, sustainability in sports sponsorship requires measurable commitments with transparent reporting, not vague aspirational statements.
The strategic insight: Purpose driven marketing works when purpose is genuine. It backfires catastrophically when it's performative.
Trend 10: Esports growth continuation
What we predicted in 2023: Esports would continue rapid growth ($175.8B global gaming revenue in 2022), with sports marketers integrating esports into marketing plans and collaborating with esports teams.
Outcome analysis: Growth continued but differently than predicted
What actually happened: Esports grew but not in the explosive, disruptive way many predicted in 2023. The industry matured, consolidated and found sustainable business models. Rather than replacing traditional sports, esports became complementary channel. The biggest surprise was how traditional sports properties integrated gaming rather than competed with it.
Success examples 2023-2024:
NBA 2K League maintained steady growth, focusing on sustainable model not explosive expansion
F1 Esports successfully bridged simulation racing and real motorsport audiences
Traditional sports betting integration with esports created new revenue streams
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 framing of esports as separate industry was incorrect. By 2025, the lesson is integration not competition. Sports properties that embraced gaming communities rather than viewing them as threats built new audience segments.
Our 2026 gamification analysis shows Gen Z spends 21% more on interactive experiences, with gaming mechanics becoming standard in traditional sports engagement rather than separate category.
Trend 11: First party data ownership and mobile first experiences
What we predicted in 2023: First party data ownership would be paramount for deeper audience insights, with mobile first experiences essential as fans increasingly used smartphones to consume content and purchase merchandise.
Outcome analysis: Absolutely validated, became survival requirement
What actually happened: This prediction was completely correct and if anything understated the urgency. As third party cookies depreciated and privacy regulations tightened (GDPR, CCPA expansion), first party data became the only reliable audience intelligence. Mobile first went from best practice to baseline requirement.
Success examples 2023-2024:
DTC sports brands with owned customer data thrived while those dependent on platform data struggled
Properties with membership models (season tickets, subscriptions) had massive advantage in targeting and personalisation
Mobile commerce in sports merchandise exceeded desktop across nearly all demographics
What we learned (2025 lesson): The 2023 prediction was directionally perfect but didn't emphasise enough how dramatically the competitive advantage would compound. By 2025, properties without robust first party data collection are flying blind.
The strategic imperative: Every fan interaction should capture permissioned data. Email signups, account creation, loyalty programs, direct ticket sales. The properties winning in 2025 own their audience relationships, not rent them from platforms.
2023 predictions vs 2025 reality: What stuck and what was hype
Looking across all trends, clear patterns emerge about what predictions held versus what failed.
What stuck (validated predictions):
Short form vertical video - Not just correct, but understated. Became primary format.
Influencer and UGC dominance - Validated and evolved into athlete owned media companies.
First party data imperative - Became survival requirement, not just advantage.
Purpose driven marketing - Became sponsor requirement, though execution quality varied.
Helpful content focus - Direction correct, though AI changed the game.
What was hype (failed or evolved significantly):
Crypto/NFT speculation - Hype crashed but utility models emerged.
Metaverse as revolutionary - Overhyped in 2023, slow adoption, niche applications only.
Documentary saturation - Format worked initially but market saturated fast.
Esports disruption narrative - Growth continued but integration not disruption.
AR/VR mainstream adoption - Slower than predicted, found profitable niches not mass market.
The meta lesson for 2025 strategists:
The trends that succeeded solved real problems. The trends that failed chased technology novelty.
Short form video worked because attention is scarce and mobile is primary device. First party data mattered because privacy regulations and platform changes made alternatives obsolete. Purpose marketing succeeded when genuine because audiences are sophisticated.
Crypto/NFT speculation failed because it didn't solve fan problems. Metaverse hype failed because the technology wasn't ready and the use cases weren't compelling.
The 2025 lesson: Don't ask "what's the hottest trend?" Ask "what real problem am I solving for fans?" Then find the appropriate solution, whether that's cutting edge technology or basic execution excellence.
What 2023 outcomes teach us about 2025-2026 strategy
The value of this retrospective isn't judging 2023 predictions. It's extracting lessons for current decision making.
Lesson 1: Technology is tool not strategy
The trends that worked (short form video, influencer partnerships, first party data) used technology to solve real problems. The trends that flopped (metaverse hype, NFT speculation) chased technology for its own sake.
Application for 2025: AI in sports marketing follows same pattern. AI that improves personalisation and content production at scale will succeed. AI gimmicks will fail.
Lesson 2: Volume beats polish in attention economy
Properties that committed to daily (or multiple daily) content distribution won. Those that prioritised production quality over publishing frequency lost attention wars.
Application for 2025: The volume requirement increased. Winners now post 5-15 times daily. But as our 2026 analysis shows, AI tools enable this volume if you build proper creative systems.
Lesson 3: Owned audiences compound, rented audiences disappear
First party data and owned channels (email, YouTube, podcasts, DTC) compounded in value. Platform dependent strategies (relying on Facebook reach, third party data) lost effectiveness.
Application for 2025: DTC streaming and athlete media companies represent next evolution. Properties must own distribution not rent it.
Lesson 4: Authenticity is detectable and rewarded
Audiences in 2023-2025 became incredibly sophisticated at detecting performative purpose marketing, influencer inauthenticity and technology gimmicks. Genuine execution was rewarded. Fake execution was punished.
Application for 2025: Sustainability commitments and influencer partnerships must be genuine or they backfire. Audiences are too smart for tricks.
Lesson 5: Integration beats isolation
Trends that succeeded integrated multiple approaches. Properties that treated channels and tactics as isolated experiments struggled.
Application for 2025: Brand and performance marketing integration isn't optional anymore. Neither is integrating short form content with long form storytelling with commerce with data collection.
From 2023 predictions to 2025 reality
This retrospective reveals uncomfortable truths about prediction accuracy and strategy evolution.
We were right about directions (video, data, authenticity matter). We were wrong about timelines and mechanisms (metaverse hype, documentary saturation). Most importantly, we learned that technology trends fail when they don't solve real problems.
The sports marketing landscape in 2025 looks different than 2023 predictions suggested, but the core principles remain: understand your audience, own your relationships, create genuine value, use appropriate tools to solve real problems.
For current strategists, the lesson isn't to predict the future perfectly. It's to build adaptable systems that respond to what actually works rather than what theoretically should work.
The properties winning in 2025 didn't just read trend reports in 2023. They tested constantly, measured rigorously, killed what didn't work and doubled down on what did. That approach matters more than any specific trend prediction.
If you're a brand looking for a sports marketing consultant to build strategies based on what actually works rather than what sounds impressive, let's talk.
About the Author
Michael Porter is a sports marketing consultant and growth partner with 15 years of experience at brands like Formula E, SailGP and E1 Series. If you're a brand looking for a sports marketing consultant to turn these insights into real world strategy, let's talk.
