The teams of six leagues drew 73 billion views on Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube between July and September 2026, and the 20 Premier League clubs earned 33 billion of them, more than all 124 NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams combined. Here are the leaders in every league, with the full numbers.
We tracked every official team account in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Premier League and F1, 155 teams on four platforms each, plus the six leagues' own accounts, for the whole of Q3 2026, and compared it with Q2. Nothing is sampled or gated: each league's top ten is below, and the live rankings cover every team.
Key findings
- The 155 teams drew 73.11 billion views in Q3, up 4.6% on Q2, and the 20 Premier League clubs earned 33.12 billion of them, more than all 124 NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams combined (28.48 billion).
- All ten of the most-viewed teams were Premier League clubs or F1 teams, led by Manchester City (6.15 billion). The Los Angeles Dodgers (923 million) were the top North American team, 13th overall.
- The season calendar decided the quarter. NFL teams grew 48% and Premier League clubs 18% into new seasons; NBA (−36%) and NHL (−47%) teams fell after their playoffs; MLB and F1, in season all quarter, held steady.
- Three league accounts out-drew all their teams combined: @F1 (13.44 billion), @NFL (11.91 billion) and @MLB (8 billion).
- Instagram delivered 61–85% of every league's team views. TikTok delivered only 3–9%, but at 9–15% engagement, two to three times Instagram's.
Dataset: 155 teams · 6 league accounts · 644 accounts on Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube · 229,627 team posts · Q3 2026 (July 1 – September 30) compared with Q2 2026 (April 1 – June 30) · views as of October 22, 2026
Want these numbers updated every day? The live sports league social media rankings cover the last 30 days for every team.
The Q3 2026 scoreboard
| League | Teams | Q3 team views | vs Q2 | Posts | Posts / team / week | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 20 | 33.12B | +18% | 44,484 | 171 | 744K | 4.5% | +11.9M |
| NFL | 32 | 11.75B | +48% | 64,123 | 154 | 183K | 3.8% | +3.66M |
| F1 | 11 | 11.51B | +2.1% | 21,481 | 150 | 536K | 4.8% | +3.54M |
| NBA | 30 | 7.19B | −36% | 26,596 | 68 | 270K | 3.7% | +1.8M |
| MLB | 30 | 7.17B | +4.4% | 46,223 | 119 | 155K | 3.5% | +2.18M |
| NHL | 32 | 2.37B | −47% | 26,720 | 64 | 89K | 3.4% | +583K |
Views per post separates the leagues most. A Premier League post averaged 744,000 views and an F1 post 536,000, against 89,000–270,000 in the North American leagues. Premier League, NFL and F1 teams also posted the most, about 150–170 times a week across four accounts, more than twice an NBA or NHL team. Engagement (likes plus comments, divided by views) sat in a narrow 3.4–4.8% band, highest for F1 and the Premier League.
The season calendar decides the quarter
NFL48% up
NBA36% down
MLB4.4% up
NHL47% down
Premier League18% up
F12.1% up- Premier League: World Cup, pre-season, new season. July held the end of the World Cup and pre-season tours; the season kicked off in August, the clubs' biggest month (13.55 billion views).
- NFL: off-season into season. Camps in July, preseason in August, the regular season in September. Team views more than doubled from July to September.
- F1: racing, summer break, racing. The only league with a mid-quarter break: views fell almost 40% in August and recovered in September.
- NBA and NHL: off-season. Both held their playoffs in Q2 and fell 36% and 47%. The NHL recovered in September as camps opened.
- MLB: mid-season throughout. The only North American league playing all quarter, and flat on Q2 (+4%).
| League | July | August | September | Sep vs Jul |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 9.52B | 13.55B | 10.05B | +5.6% |
| NFL | 2.01B | 4.41B | 5.32B | +164% |
| F1 | 4.23B | 2.57B | 4.71B | +11% |
| NBA | 3.04B | 2.02B | 2.13B | −30% |
| MLB | 2.19B | 2.49B | 2.49B | +13% |
| NHL | 752M | 361M | 1.26B | +68% |
The lesson for anyone comparing teams across leagues: a quarter-on-quarter change is mostly a measure of the calendar. Compare teams within a league, over the same window, and against their own season.
The league accounts
| League account | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers (Sep 30) | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @F1 | 13.44B | +4.9% | 5,064 | 2.65M | 4.3% | 88.4M | +2.21M |
| @NFL | 11.91B | +86% | 10,880 | 1.09M | 2.8% | 107.3M | +1.34M |
| @MLB | 8B | +16% | 13,967 | 573K | 2.5% | 44.2M | +981K |
| @PremierLeague | 7.59B | −9.9% | 3,989 | 1.9M | 4.1% | 164.4M | +2.83M |
| @NBA | 6.74B | −58% | 8,854 | 761K | 2.6% | 186.7M | +115K |
| @NHL | 1.04B | −62% | 3,173 | 327K | 3.7% | 21.5M | +493K |
@F1 was the most-viewed league account (13.44 billion), and one of three, with @NFL and @MLB, that out-drew all their own teams. It averaged 2.65 million views a post, and its biggest, congratulating George Russell and Carmen Mundt, reached 97.9 million. @PremierLeague is the opposite case: big (7.59 billion views, 164.4 million followers), but a quarter of the size of its clubs, whose own audiences are global. @NBA still has the biggest following (186.7 million), but its views fell 58% once the Finals were over.
The most-viewed teams in sports
| # | Team | League | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Views / post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | Premier League | 6.15B | +27% | 1.74M |
| 2 | Manchester United | Premier League | 5.87B | +2.6% | 1.81M |
| 3 | Liverpool | Premier League | 5.23B | +22% | 1.5M |
| 4 | Chelsea | Premier League | 4.51B | +91% | 1.45M |
| 5 | Arsenal | Premier League | 3.54B | −29% | 1.18M |
| 6 | Mercedes | F1 | 2.6B | −1.6% | 1.01M |
| 7 | Ferrari | F1 | 2.58B | +6.3% | 927K |
| 8 | Red Bull Racing | F1 | 1.81B | +8.7% | 803K |
| 9 | McLaren | F1 | 1.73B | +4.0% | 457K |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | 1.34B | +52% | 580K |
The Premier League's big five clubs each drew more than three times the views of any North American team, and F1's top four all passed 1.7 billion. The Los Angeles Dodgers (923 million) were the most-viewed North American team, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (783 million) and the New York Yankees (747 million). Per post, the same eight clubs and F1 teams lead; the Los Angeles Lakers (797,000 views a post) were the highest North American team, ninth.
Where the views come from: platform by platform
| League | Instagram share | TikTok share | X share | YouTube share | Instagram eng. | TikTok eng. | X eng. | YouTube eng. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 69.2% | 8.8% | 19.7% | 2.3% | 4.1% | 14.4% | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| NFL | 67.0% | 7.0% | 22.6% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 10.1% | 1.2% | 3.0% |
| F1 | 85.1% | 6.1% | 7.0% | 1.7% | 4.3% | 14.5% | 2.1% | 3.3% |
| NBA | 73.9% | 7.4% | 17.4% | 1.3% | 3.8% | 9.0% | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| MLB | 60.7% | 4.3% | 32.8% | 2.2% | 4.2% | 9.1% | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| NHL | 67.7% | 3.1% | 27.8% | 1.4% | 4.0% | 11.6% | 1.1% | 2.3% |
Instagram is where sports teams are watched, from 61% of MLB team views to 85% of F1's. X came second in every league, and mattered most for baseball (33%), a game played every day and followed in real time; for F1 it was only 7%, barely ahead of TikTok. TikTok is small in reach and big in response: 3–9% of views, but engagement of 9–15%, highest for F1 and Premier League teams. YouTube was the smallest channel for every league. X also grew strongly for the leagues that grew: team views on X rose 79% on Q2 in the NFL (behind only YouTube, +89%), 57% in the Premier League and 68% in F1.
Follower growth
| # | Team | League | Followers gained | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | Premier League | +2.74M | 2.3% |
| 2 | McLaren | F1 | +1.77M | 5.9% |
| 3 | Manchester United | Premier League | +1.62M | 1.1% |
| 4 | Chelsea | Premier League | +1.56M | 1.6% |
| 5 | Arsenal | Premier League | +1.14M | 1.6% |
| 6 | Liverpool | Premier League | +836K | 0.7% |
| 7 | Newcastle United | Premier League | +803K | 4.8% |
| 8 | Aston Villa | Premier League | +714K | 5.6% |
| 9 | Philadelphia 76ers | NBA | +658K | 8.1% |
| 10 | Racing Bulls | F1 | +524K | 5.9% |
Premier League clubs took seven of the top ten places, led by Manchester City (+2.74 million). McLaren (+1.77 million, +5.9%) gained the most in F1. The Philadelphia 76ers grew fastest of all (+8.1%) and led North America, in an offseason when 12 of the 30 NBA teams lost followers.
Premier League clubs on social media: Q3 2026 results
Premier League team views rose 18% on Q2, to 33.12 billion, and 15 of the 20 clubs grew. Manchester City led on views (6.15 billion), collab posts and follower growth. Across the league, clubs posted 171 times a week each, the most of any league, earned 744,000 views a post and added 11.9 million followers between them. Chelsea nearly doubled their views (+91%) and led on engagement and comments. Fulham (+159%) and Brentford (+139%) grew fastest, and newly promoted Hull City had the league's best breakout rate.
Manchester City
Manchester United5.87BManchester City
Chelsea
Liverpool4.8%Manchester City
Chelsea330
Hull CityChelsea32%
Fulham
Brentford+139%Manchester CityManchester United1.62MChelseaManchester United2.47M| # | Team | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 6.15B | +27% | 3,528 | 1.74M | 4.7% | +2.74M |
| 2 | Manchester United | 5.87B | +2.6% | 3,243 | 1.81M | 4.4% | +1.62M |
| 3 | Liverpool | 5.23B | +22% | 3,476 | 1.5M | 4.8% | +836K |
| 4 | Chelsea | 4.51B | +91% | 3,104 | 1.45M | 5.5% | +1.56M |
| 5 | Arsenal | 3.54B | −29% | 3,006 | 1.18M | 4.5% | +1.14M |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1.34B | +52% | 2,303 | 580K | 3.9% | +131K |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 1.22B | +87% | 2,134 | 571K | 3.1% | +803K |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 1.04B | −4.8% | 2,205 | 474K | 4.1% | +714K |
| 9 | Everton | 516.3M | +82% | 2,823 | 183K | 4.5% | +332K |
| 10 | Fulham | 429.8M | +159% | 1,447 | 297K | 4.6% | +492K |
The live Premier League social media rankings rank all 20 clubs on the last 30 days, updated daily.
NFL teams on social media: Q3 2026 results
NFL team views rose 48% on Q2, to 11.75 billion, and 30 of the 32 teams grew. The Philadelphia Eagles led on views (727 million) and views per post. The Dallas Cowboys led on comments and follower growth, and more than doubled their views (+119%); the San Francisco 49ers grew fastest (+174%). As a league, NFL teams posted 67% more than in Q2, about 154 times a week each, and their fastest growth came on YouTube (+89%) and X (+79%), where fans go for highlights and news.
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys675.7M
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers4.4%
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans310
Pittsburgh SteelersDallas Cowboys24%
San Francisco 49ersDallas Cowboys+119%
Dallas Cowboys
Buffalo Bills230KDallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles341K| # | Team | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 726.7M | +36% | 1,669 | 435K | 4.1% | +162K |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 675.7M | +119% | 2,907 | 232K | 4.0% | +232K |
| 3 | San Francisco 49ers | 636.8M | +174% | 2,416 | 264K | 4.1% | +182K |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | 621.8M | +66% | 2,581 | 241K | 3.5% | +193K |
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | 615.7M | +85% | 1,686 | 365K | 3.6% | +117K |
| 6 | Seattle Seahawks | 500.9M | +42% | 2,392 | 209K | 4.1% | +101K |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | 499.3M | +75% | 1,599 | 312K | 3.8% | +202K |
| 8 | New York Giants | 496.9M | +55% | 2,574 | 193K | 4.4% | +202K |
| 9 | New England Patriots | 486.4M | +39% | 2,285 | 213K | 3.7% | +107K |
| 10 | Buffalo Bills | 480M | +97% | 1,611 | 298K | 4.2% | +230K |
The live NFL social media rankings rank all 32 teams on the last 30 days, updated daily.
F1 teams on social media: Q3 2026 results
F1 team views rose 2% on Q2, to 11.51 billion, and 7 of the 11 teams grew. Mercedes edged Ferrari for the most views (2.6 billion against 2.58 billion). F1 teams rely on Instagram more than any other league (85% of their views) and had the highest engagement rate of the six (4.8%). Racing Bulls grew fastest (+47%) and led on engagement and breakout rate, and McLaren gained the most followers (+1.77 million). Aston Martin fell furthest (−62%).
Mercedes
Ferrari2.58B
Racing Bulls
Haas5.2%Mercedes
Red Bull Racing197Racing Bulls
Mercedes29%Racing BullsHaas+35%
McLaren
Racing Bulls524KMercedes
Alpine637K| # | Team | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 2.6B | −1.6% | 2,572 | 1.01M | 5.2% | +353K† |
| 2 | Ferrari | 2.58B | +6.3% | 2,786 | 927K | 4.3% | +309K |
| 3 | Red Bull Racing | 1.81B | +8.7% | 2,248 | 803K | 4.6% | +307K† |
| 4 | McLaren | 1.73B | +4.0% | 3,779 | 457K | 4.9% | +1.77M |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 723.1M | +47% | 1,850 | 391K | 5.5% | +524K |
| 6 | Alpine | 673.9M | −5.8% | 1,045 | 645K | 4.8% | – |
| 7 | Williams | 458.9M | +18% | 2,239 | 205K | 5.2% | +116K |
| 8 | Audi | 292.4M | +10% | 1,355 | 216K | 3.2% | +36K† |
| 9 | Cadillac | 236.7M | −15% | 893 | 265K | 5.0% | +69K† |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 233.8M | −62% | 1,093 | 214K | 4.0% | +56K† |
† Follower growth leaves out accounts without readings for the full quarter: Instagram, X and YouTube for Mercedes; X and YouTube for Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin; TikTok, X and YouTube for Audi; YouTube for Cadillac. – No follower readings for the quarter. Alpine's X posts are counted from August 10.
The live F1 social media rankings rank all 11 teams on the last 30 days, updated daily.
NBA teams on social media: Q3 2026 results
NBA team views fell 36% on a playoff-heavy Q2, to 7.19 billion, and 12 of the 30 teams grew. Teams with long playoff runs fell hardest: the New York Knicks (−84%), Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder (both −80%). The Minnesota Timberwolves led the league and grew (+13%), the Miami Heat tripled their views (+214%) and the Philadelphia 76ers led follower growth. NBA teams posted 47% less than in Q2, about 68 times a week each, yet their views per post rose from 227,000 to 270,000, the best in North America.
Minnesota Timberwolves
San Antonio Spurs610.5M
Los Angeles Lakers
Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets4.8%
San Antonio Spurs
Cleveland Cavaliers201Minnesota Timberwolves
Philadelphia 76ers52%
Miami HeatPhiladelphia 76ers+87%
Philadelphia 76ers
Minnesota Timberwolves479KSan Antonio SpursMinnesota Timberwolves188K| # | Team | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 783.2M | +13% | 1,154 | 679K | 4.2% | +479K |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs | 610.5M | −74% | 1,177 | 519K | 3.7% | +122K |
| 3 | Golden State Warriors | 593.9M | −16% | 1,045 | 568K | 3.9% | −74K |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | 547.2M | −39% | 687 | 797K | 3.1% | +230K |
| 5 | Philadelphia 76ers | 502.4M | +87% | 795 | 632K | 3.7% | +658K |
| 6 | Miami Heat | 357M | +214% | 1,096 | 326K | 3.4% | +125K |
| 7 | Toronto Raptors | 343M | −6.9% | 1,949 | 176K | 3.5% | +76K |
| 8 | Boston Celtics | 340.3M | −16% | 760 | 448K | 3.2% | −3.9K |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | 283.3M | −24% | 1,150 | 246K | 4.0% | −11K |
| 10 | New York Knicks | 276.2M | −84% | 517 | 534K | 4.1% | +132K |
The live NBA social media rankings rank all 30 teams on the last 30 days, updated daily.
MLB teams on social media: Q3 2026 results
MLB team views rose 4% on Q2, to 7.17 billion, the steadiest of the North American leagues, with 17 of the 30 teams up. The Los Angeles Dodgers led on views (923 million) and breakout rate. X delivered a third of MLB team views (33%), a bigger share than in any other league, for a game played every day and followed in real time. The Boston Red Sox nearly doubled their views (+96%), the Chicago Cubs grew 55%, and the New York Yankees gained the most followers (+292,000).
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Yankees747MLos Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Boston Red Sox4.1%
Toronto Blue Jays
Atlanta Braves273Los Angeles Dodgers
Detroit Tigers24%
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs+55%
New York Yankees
New York Mets180KToronto Blue JaysNew York Yankees256K| # | Team | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 922.6M | −12% | 1,361 | 678K | 3.5% | +169K |
| 2 | New York Yankees | 747M | +7.7% | 2,016 | 371K | 4.0% | +292K |
| 3 | Toronto Blue Jays | 607.4M | +6.8% | 2,612 | 233K | 3.4% | +81K |
| 4 | Chicago Cubs | 449.4M | +55% | 1,443 | 311K | 3.4% | +119K |
| 5 | Philadelphia Phillies | 370.8M | +26% | 1,822 | 203K | 3.6% | +145K |
| 6 | Boston Red Sox | 345.2M | +96% | 1,512 | 228K | 4.1% | +139K |
| 7 | New York Mets | 304.2M | +8.5% | 2,359 | 129K | 3.1% | +180K |
| 8 | Atlanta Braves | 278.5M | +7.4% | 1,811 | 154K | 3.8% | +73K |
| 9 | Chicago White Sox | 275.7M | −6.5% | 2,176 | 127K | 3.4% | +98K |
| 10 | San Diego Padres | 272.3M | +28% | 1,424 | 191K | 4.2% | +110K |
The live MLB social media rankings rank all 30 teams on the last 30 days, updated daily.
NHL teams on social media: Q3 2026 results
NHL team views fell 47% on a playoff Q2, to 2.37 billion, and only 7 of the 32 teams grew. The San Jose Sharks led on views (239 million), engagement rate and collab posts. The Calgary Flames grew fastest (+121%). League-wide, NHL teams earned the fewest views per post of the six leagues (89,000), but the highest TikTok engagement in North America (11.6%).
San Jose Sharks
Toronto Maple Leafs200.1M
Calgary FlamesSan Jose Sharks
Chicago Blackhawks3.8%San Jose Sharks
Florida Panthers124
Carolina HurricanesChicago Blackhawks43%Calgary FlamesChicago Blackhawks+92%
New York Rangers
San Jose Sharks66K
Toronto Maple LeafsChicago Blackhawks60K| # | Team | Q3 views | vs Q2 | Posts | Views / post | Engagement | Followers gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose Sharks | 238.9M | −12% | 1,217 | 196K | 4.5% | +66K |
| 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 200.1M | +6.7% | 1,754 | 114K | 3.2% | +36K |
| 3 | Chicago Blackhawks | 190.6M | +92% | 972 | 196K | 3.8% | +53K |
| 4 | Montréal Canadiens | 142.2M | −69% | 919 | 155K | 3.6% | +27K |
| 5 | Boston Bruins | 118.5M | −35% | 1,021 | 116K | 3.7% | +29K |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 111.3M | −48% | 707 | 157K | 3.7% | +5.9K |
| 7 | Philadelphia Flyers | 97.2M | −64% | 1,122 | 87K | 3.0% | +16K |
| 8 | Carolina Hurricanes | 85.4M | −81% | 943 | 91K | 3.2% | +7.9K |
| 9 | Edmonton Oilers | 81.2M | −40% | 801 | 101K | 3.0% | −2.8K |
| 10 | Calgary Flames | 69.4M | +121% | 947 | 73K | 3.2% | +16K |
The live NHL social media rankings rank all 32 teams on the last 30 days, updated daily.
The 10 most-viewed team posts of Q3 2026
| # | Team | League | Platform | Date | Views | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | Premier League | Jul 10 | 185.6M | Erling Haaland memes IRL #erlinghaaland #worldcup | |
| 2 | Newcastle United | Premier League | Aug 8 | 169.7M | @yowissa with a nice double 🔝 | |
| 3 | Arsenal | Premier League | Aug 6 | 151.8M | Arsenal 🤝 @emirates - History in the Making. | |
| 4 | Liverpool | Premier League | Sep 16 | 84.3M | Perfection ✨ | |
| 5 | Newcastle United | Premier League | Aug 9 | 71M | Great link-up play, lads 🔝 | |
| 6 | Mercedes | F1 | Sep 3 | 54M | Lightning McQueen has struck at the Italian Grand Prix! ⚡️ | |
| 7 | Manchester City | Premier League | Sep 21 | 49.9M | Silky 👌 | |
| 8 | Manchester City | Premier League | Sep 24 | 47.1M | Some header! 😮💨 | |
| 9 | Manchester City | Premier League | Sep 26 | 46.9M | Only @erling 🤯 | |
| 10 | Chelsea | Premier League | Jul 28 | 45.6M | Into the lead! 👊 |
The ten drew 906 million views between them, and the top three alone more than half of that: each passed 150 million, nearly double anything below them. All ten were on Instagram and nine came from Premier League clubs, four of them from Manchester City; Mercedes was the only other team in the list. Most were match moments, goals and link-up play from pre-season and the new season, and half landed in September as the season got going. The three that weren't stood out: Manchester City's World Cup meme of Erling Haaland (the biggest of all), Arsenal's post on its Emirates partnership and Mercedes' Lightning McQueen tie-in at the Italian Grand Prix. The most-viewed North American team post, the Dodgers' j-hope post (40.1 million), ranked 13th.
What this means for teams, leagues and sponsors
- Benchmark within your league and your season. Q3 rewarded the NFL and the Premier League and punished the NBA and NHL for reasons no social team controls. Judge growth against the same quarter last year.
- Volume buys reach, not quality. Within each North American league, post count tracks total views but not views per post: NFL teams posted 67% more than in Q2 and their views per post fell, from 207,000 to 183,000. (The Premier League's biggest clubs lead on both only because they start with the biggest followings in sport.)
- Treat TikTok as an engagement channel. A small share of views everywhere, but audiences that respond at two to three times Instagram's rate, most of all for football clubs and F1 teams.
- League accounts are media companies. @F1, @NFL and @MLB each out-drew all their teams. For partners, league accounts offer reach no single team can match; teams offer smaller, more engaged audiences.
How we measured
- Accounts: every team's official Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube account, plus each league's own: 644 accounts. Premier League clubs are the 2026–27 season's; F1 teams the 2026 grid.
- Period: posts published July 1 – September 30, 2026, against April 1 – June 30. Views are each post's total as of October 22, 2026. Stories are excluded.
- Measures: engagement is likes plus comments divided by views. Breakout rate is the share of posts reaching twice the account's median views (teams with 100+ posts).
- Followers: growth from June 30 to September 30, for accounts with a reading on both dates. † marks a team missing some accounts, – one missing all.
- Limits: platforms count views differently, and quarter-on-quarter changes reflect each league's season as much as its content. Public organic posts only.
Frequently asked questions
Which sports team had the most social media views in Q3 2026?
Manchester City, with 6.15 billion views across Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube between July 1 and September 30, 2026, ahead of Manchester United (5.87 billion) and Liverpool (5.23 billion). The most-viewed North American team was the Los Angeles Dodgers (923 million).
Which league's teams got the most social media views in Q3 2026?
Premier League clubs, with 33.12 billion views, more than all NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams combined. NFL teams drew 11.75 billion (+48% on Q2), F1 teams 11.51 billion, NBA teams 7.19 billion, MLB teams 7.17 billion and NHL teams 2.37 billion.
Which Premier League club had the most social media views in Q3 2026?
Manchester City, with 6.15 billion views, ahead of Manchester United (5.87 billion) and Liverpool (5.23 billion).
Which F1 team had the most social media views in Q3 2026?
Mercedes, with 2.6 billion views, just ahead of Ferrari (2.58 billion) and Red Bull Racing (1.81 billion).
Which NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams had the most social media views in Q3 2026?
The Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL (727 million), the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA (783 million), the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB (923 million) and the San Jose Sharks in the NHL (239 million).
What was the most-viewed sports team post of Q3 2026?
Manchester City's Instagram post of Erling Haaland memes on July 10, during the World Cup, with 185.6 million views. Newcastle United's post of Yoane Wissa's double (169.7 million) was second.
Which social media platform gets sports teams the most views?
Instagram, which delivered 61–85% of each league's team views in Q3 2026. X was second in all six leagues, then TikTok and YouTube. TikTok had by far the highest engagement rate, 9–15% against Instagram's 4%.
Where can I see up-to-date sports team social media rankings?
Socialpruf's live sports league rankings rank every team on the last 30 days and update daily, with separate pages for the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Premier League and F1.
