X (formerly Twitter) continues to be a pivotal platform for sports-related engagement, evidenced by iconic moments like the Oreo “dunk in the dark” Super Bowl post and Eric Bledsoe’s candid tweet.
The Olympic Games this year have further cemented this role, generating 17 billion impressions, 2 billion video views, and 49 million posts over a weekend, surpassing even the Super Bowl’s impressive metrics on the platform.
X’s ability to thrive on real-time sports excitement makes it uniquely suited for live conversations, a fact emphasized by its executives to advertisers amidst rising competition from platforms like TikTok.
Monique Pintarelli, head of Americas at X, underscored this point, highlighting X’s unmatched capacity for fostering audience engagement during live sports events, a critical selling point for advertisers looking to capitalize on these moments.
To maintain and enhance this advantage, X has partnered with Genius Sports to launch Trend Genius, a product designed to keep ad dollars on the platform by targeting real-time sports conversations.
This tool triggers ads when conversations hit specific engagement thresholds, ensuring relevance and maximizing reach, as noted by Genius Sports’ chief revenue officer, Josh Linforth, who reported a 12% increase in engagement during testing.
Despite these advancements, some marketers remain cautious due to broader concerns about the platform. However, the ongoing Olympic Games present a timely opportunity for X to attract advertisers back, leveraging the strong connection between sports and its user base.
Monique Pintarelli pointed out that sports have been a major re-entry point for brands, underscoring sports as the dominant conversation on the platform.
While X’s legacy as a real-time sports hub remains strong, its unique position is being challenged by platforms like Discord, Reddit, and WhatsApp, which are also becoming popular for real-time sports discussions.
Malph Minns from Strive Sponsorship highlighted that while X retains an edge due to its established audience, it must continue innovating to stay ahead of these rivals and maintain its dominance in live sports engagement.
