X Highlights Rising Sports Discussion in the App Ahead of the Olympics

X is looking to enhance its appeal to advertisers ahead of the Olympics, by highlighting the popularity of sports discussions in the app.

As per X:

“Over the weekend of July 13-14 2024, the sports world was buzzing as several major international tournaments crowned their champions. And when the sports world is buzzing, so is X. As fans tuned in to the action, they flocked to X to share their passion and pains before, during, and after the events. And they were joined live by brands, pundits and the athletes themselves.”

As you can see in this overview, while X hasn’t seen any user growth since Elon Musk purchased the app, it remains a key destination for discussion around live events, with sports communities, in particular, remaining highly active and engaged in the app.

Because while Twitter may be gone, and a portion of related discussion has switched to Meta’s Threads, X is still best suited to live event coverage, with its real-time feed, and established communities, helping to connect users with what’s happening, as it happens.

Which is critical for sports discussion, and as our analysis has shown, sports fans are still clearly aligned with the app. For many, Twitter was a habit, a key medium that helped to connect them to like-minded fans, and they’re unlikely to change from that, seemingly unless they have to.

So again, while X’s audience hasn’t grown, it remains a key consideration, and if you are looking to connect with sports fans, these stats are worth factoring into your planning.

And the Olympics does indeed look set to be another big focus:

“The road to the Olympics continues to heat up. Conversation around the event has increased 112% in the past month. With 6 in 10 sports fans using X (20% more sports fans than other platforms), we can anticipate a historical level of engagement, viewership, and conversation during the Olympic Games. Athletes from around the globe, including many that participated in this weekend’s championship matches, will arrive in Paris, and the world will watch the events, emotions, and celebrations together live on X.” 

Of course, sports is big on other social platforms too. Snapchat sees a heap of sports discussion, as does TikTok. But for in-the-moment chatter, X is also a key connector.

You can check out X’s sports conversation overview here.