Manchester United is the most valuable social media brand in the English Premier League, according to a recent study by sports news site Sportslens.
The club boasts a global following and has 184.4 mln followers across its social media platforms. These include Facebook (77 mln), Instagram (59.2 mln), Twitter (31.9 mln), and TikTok (16.3 mln).
This outpaces second-placed Chelsea FC, which has 118,9 mln followers on social media.
Meanwhile, United’s arch-rivals Liverpool are the third most followed team attracting 113,700,000 fans on its various platforms. And Man Utd’s “noisy neighbours” Manchester City come a distant fourth with 86,200,000 followers. 
“These incredible results show how far Man Utd still dominates as a brand despite their on-the-pitch issues,” explained Charlie Rhodes, the Sportslens editor.
For example, Man Utd has more than double the number of social followers as their City rivals – despite the latter’s success over the last five years. It’s also interesting that the top six Premier League teams make up 88% of the numbers, which reveals the enormous sway that the top six teams still have in the league.”
Global following
Man Utd’s commercial success is primarily due to its extensive global following. Its listing on the New York Stock Exchange has made them a worldwide conglomerate and an advertising behemoth.
The return of football’s greatest ever goalscorer last season, Cristiano Ronaldo, helped boost their social media following.
As one of the most popular teams in the world, with a vast global fan base, they can command premium prices for their sponsorship deals. Their revenues are also boosted by their involvement in several charitable initiatives, such as their work with Unicef.
Social media has become an integral part of the football world. Fans can instantly engage with their favourite teams and stars and access sports content.
For football clubs, social media provides a way to build relationships with the public, cut marketing costs, and ramp up sales, said the data compiled by Sportslens, that also provides a forum for sports fans to discuss their favourite sports and teams.
