This is part two of a three part series about content discovery. Part one was about finding the primary entry points where new content is found by fans. Part three is about turning discovery into business growth.
Key Takeaways:
- As sports organizations increasingly treat social platforms as their primary discovery engine, platform-native formats, distinctive storytelling, and community-driven content become invaluable.
- Prioritizing quality over quantity enables sports organizations to cut through the noise with authentic content tailored to the right audiences and platforms.
- Leveraging creator collaborations, micro-communities, and AI-powered content creation platforms allows properties to strengthen discovery while staying true to their brand identity.
In just 17 days – the length of the group stage at the World Cup 2026 – Fox Sports recorded a long list of viewership milestones.
Notable examples include the most-watched US Men’s National Team match in World Cup history (until the knockout stage began) with 18,039,000 viewers; the most-watched group stage match not involving the US (Brazil-Morocco) with 10,020,000 viewers; and an average of 5,052,000 viewers across 72 matches – up +92% compared to the 2022 World Cup and the highest group stage telecast average in US history.
Yet all these numbers pale in comparison with the group stage’s digital benchmark: 4.53 billion views across FOX Sports’ digital and social platforms, making it the most socially viewed event in FOX Sports history.
The massive gap between short-form video consumption and live match viewership helps explain why sports properties are treating social platforms as their primary discovery engine. But it comes with a cost. As leagues, teams, and media networks increasingly focus on meeting fans where they are, they are making a trade-off – one that, paradoxically, may be eroding their ability to stand out in the environment they rely on for reach.
The Algorithm Effect
In a social media environment, discovery is dictated by algorithms. This poses two problems. First, if you’re fully dependent on external algorithms, one tweak can slash your organic reach overnight. The second problem with algorithm-driven discovery, say industry experts, is that rights holders end up publishing content that satisfies platform demands rather than fans.
“The safest path to success is no longer creating content which fits in with your club’s ethos; it’s creating for the feed,” said David Granger, director of content marketing agency Arc & Foundry. “When everyone is working towards the same factors, everything starts to look the same. Identical formats. Identical pacing. Identical captions. It’s hard to claim to be authentic when your post could have come from half a dozen other clubs with the logo cropped out.”
Another issue that can hinder discovery efforts is prioritizing quantity over quality, which often goes hand in hand with trying to establish presence on too many platforms at once. While omnipresence may seem appealing, warn marketing leaders, it has diminishing returns. Chief among them is one-size-fits-all content that underwhelms fans.
“Each platform demands a tailored approach,” said David Brickley, the CEO of STN Digital, a social-first marketing agency. “By focusing resources on fewer, more strategic platforms, brands can sharpen storytelling and build deeper connections with their audiences. This isn’t about doing less – it’s about doing what works better. It’s a more sustainable, impactful way to maximize influence, cutting through the noise rather than becoming part of it.”
Communities Over Crowds
To ensure they are cutting through the noise, many organizations have made creator content an essential component of their digital strategy. The target audience of this content is casual fans, primarily Gen Zers and Millennials, who prefer hearing directly from authentic, relatable voices. “Even on our own channels, the creator content actually outperformed some of our own lead content,” said Ian Trombetta, SVP of social & influence marketing at the NFL.
The rise of micro-communities – small groups built around very particular interests – provides another opportunity to improve discovery. Some brands are already doing that. Nike CEO Elliott Hill, for example, recently directed his “marketing, social and communications outreach to build influence across sport-specific communities,” adding that “every story is a doorway, giving different micro-communities their own way in. This is the way to reach scale in today’s culture.”
Ultimately, though, rights holders cannot ignore social media’s influence on fans. The challenge, then, is to continuously find content formats that capture attention while remaining true to your values, employing a depth-over-width strategy, and serving communities.
A good place to start looking for answers is STN Digital’s latest League Social Performance Report. Examining the top-performing social media content of the big four sports leagues in the US (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB), the report highlights three formats that currently define fan engagement:
- Highlight videos featuring on-screen text with a key message or reaction: this type of content makes highlights feel native to platforms like TikTok and Reels, resulting in an 816x average engagement rate lift (engagement rate lift is defined as how much better a post performed compared to other posts during the same timeframe).
- Multiple player prompt videos: This simple, personality-led format, featuring player reactions to a task or viral trends, offers insight into athlete dynamics and generates an average engagement rate lift of 344x.
- Mic’d-up moments: bringing fans behind the curtain in real time, this format builds on raw emotion and humor to produce an average engagement rate lift of 337x.
Optimizing Every Asset
In an increasingly crowded space, reaching audiences has become just as challenging as creating the content itself. Competition for attention is relentless, algorithms keep changing, and fans quickly tune out repetitive formats. Yet discovery isn’t a matter of luck. Organizations that develop distinctive storytelling, focus on the right channels, and create content for specific communities are far better positioned to earn attention where it matters most.
Putting that strategy into practice requires technology that combines speed with precision. AI-powered content creation platforms help rights holders instantly produce platform-native videos, tailor content to different audiences and channels, and – perhaps most importantly – use social media platforms without sacrificing what makes your content worth discovering.
This is part two of a three part series about content discovery. Part one was about finding the primary entry points where new content is found by fans. Part three is about turning discovery into business growth.
Actionable Insights:
- Prioritize the platforms that matter most to your audience and tailor content to each, rather than publishing the same asset everywhere.
- Build content around creators, player personalities, and fan communities to increase discovery without sacrificing your brand identity.
- Use social content to drive fans toward owned channels with platform-native storytelling, conversion-focused creative, and clear calls to action.
