Top 30 Sports Teams on Facebook

Top 30 Teams on Facebook

Activ8Social

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Frequency: Regularity and consistency of updates

Engagement: Authenticity and overall level of team/fan interaction

Size:

Total number of “Likes”

(or fans)*

Promotion: Sponsor activation, contests, and links to digital assets

Selection & Rating Criteria

*Fan data courtesy of AllFacebook.com and current as of 4/10/11

Content: Variety, originality, and quality of media uploads and updates

•

Only official

Pages were considered for this assessment, meaning the team has

some type of direct

affiliation with the Facebook Page

•

Each team’s Facebook Page was rated on a scale of 1-10 by the following criteria with the highest total score winning:

•

Teams from all sports and countries were eligible

•

Only team Pages over 300k

fans (Likes) were evaluated

•

Tiebreakers given to team with highest “Engagement”

score

Top 30 Team Facebook Pages

Activ8Social



•

Activ8Social clients were not eligible

http://statistics.allfacebook.com/pages



League:

La Liga

(Spain)

FC BarcelonaSport:

Soccer (Football)Fans:

12,281,734


Activ8Social



Size Frequency Engagement Promotion Content TOTAL

9 8 9 9 8 43

#1

Breakdown:

With stars like Messi, Xavi

and Villa and the support of all of Catalonia behind them, no team on Facebook has as many fans as the reigning La Liga

champs. This Page offers fans a steady stream of updates and incorporates sleek design on several custom tabs.

Notable:

The “Fan Map”

application highlights the ubiquity of FC Barcelona’s fan base by allowing you to drag and drop your photo on an interactive global map and send messages to other fanatics.

www.facebook.com/fcbarcelona



League:

La Liga

(Spain)

Breakdown:

Slotting in right behind Barcelona, just

like in the league standings, are their arch rivals, Real Madrid. Led by Cristiano

Ronaldo

featured on a clever default landing tab, this Page is rich with engaging apps and links to player social media accounts.

Real Madrid

Notable:

With over 14,000 fan photos, it is very

clear how supportive this club’s fans are. There is also a custom tab that allows fans to create their own Real Madrid avatar, a very unique option.

www.facebook.com/realmadrid

Sport:


11,178,834


Activ8Social




9 8 9 7 8 41

#2



Arsenal

Notable:

One of the cooler features is the “Welcome”

tab that links to information on every single player and allows fans to “Like”

individual players such as Fabregas

or Arshavin

directly from Arsenal’s Page.

www.facebook.com/arsenal

Sport:


5,172,218


Activ8Social




8 8 8 8 7 39

Breakdown:

Nobody knows how to entertain like

Arsenal with their beautiful passing and exciting style of play. In similar fashion, their Page offers sleek options like Arsenal TV and a team store. The Twitter tab with all the teams tweets is a nice touch.

#3

League:

English Premier League (EPL)




8 8 6 9 8 39

Galatasaraywww.facebook.com/galatasaray

League: Super Lig

(Turkey)

Sport:


4,922,733


Activ8Social



#4

Breakdown:

The club of Turkish soccer star, Arda

Turan, is very active on Facebook. Updates are primarily fed from the team site, but arrive often and include media that fans respond to. The Page is heavily customized with more custom tabs and activations than you can shake a stick at.

Notable:

The “GSTV”

tab features video content from the Galatasary

Sports Club and a programming guide for upcoming features so fans can plan ahead to watch on Facebook.



Chicago Bearswww.facebook.com/chicagobears

Breakdown:

“Da

Bears”

have a very active and engaged Page triggered by frequent posts, fun contests and unique content. The team goes so far as to comment on fan content. The “Fan Zone”

tab allows Bears fans to interact, while activating Motorola and Toyota.

Notable:

The Bears “Fan of the Week”

tab highlights the photo and story of one crazy fan each week. Tying Chicagoland

Toyota to the emotional stories of Bears fans makes for a solid season-long sponsor activation.

League:

National Football League (NFL)

Sport:

Football (American)Fans:

1,468,624


Activ8Social




6 7 8 9 8 38

#5



Liverpool

Breakdown:

Liverpool’s Page is pretty simple, but

the power of the brand is undeniable with over 5 million fans. “You’ll never walk alone”

on this Facebook Page. A team store, Twitter feed and clever “Welcome”

tab offer some customization.

Notable:

The Page is rich with media, including

17,000 fan photos, and enables fans to shop directly on Facebook. It’s solid, but limited unique content holds this Page back from topping the previous spots.


Activ8Social




8 7 6 9 7 37

League:


Sport:


5,122,381

#6www.facebook.com/liverpoolfc



League:

National Basketball Association (NBA)

Breakdown:

The Page posts videos to pump fans up

before games and promotes Knicks pride. They keep fans involved and do a great job playing on the “Like”

term. One of the most visually appealing Pages of the Top 30.

Fans:

619,580

New York Knicks

Notable:

The interactive schedule allows fans to

post their thoughts on each game, purchase tickets and RSVP. “Like”

everything else on the Page, it’s also easy on the eyes.


Activ8Social




4 8 8 8 9 37

Sport:

Basketball

#7www.facebook.com/nykicks



Breakdown: The Patriots Page is one of the better ones from an American team, fueled by a ton of content with clever gimmicks like “Flashback Friday”

and “Video of the Day”

to keep the fans engaged.

Notable:

The Patriots “Fan Zone”

tab draws fans in to listen to live radio from Patriots.com, answer polls and trivia, send Patriots gifts and engage with several other sponsored features.

www.facebook.com/newenglandpatriots

League:


Sport:

Football (American)Fans:

1,893,198


Activ8Social




6 8 8 7 7 36

New England Patriots#8



Breakdown:

The Page boasts tons of news, photos

and videos with text in both Italian and English. They integrate the team store and include the ability to create a jersey with your name and number, then share it with friends on Facebook.

AC Milan

Notable:

The Italian team has a

custom “Milan News”

tab that provides team info in an impressive, visually pleasing manner. It has scores, standings and player news all in one easy-to-read format.

www.facebook.com/acmilan

Sport:


3,245,369


Activ8Social




7 7 7 7 8 36

League:

Serie

A (Italy)

#9



League:


Breakdown:

The Jets Page recently saw a surge

with the teams playoff run. They do a great job of activating sponsors and creatively engaging fans via multiple contests and promotions. The Jets are definitely one of the most “social”

teams in the NFL.

Fans:

730,522

New York Jets

Notable:

The Jets spearheaded the “Ultimate Fan”

Facebook game that is featured prominently. It gives fans different online challenges to become the ultimate Jets fan, while mixing in a little sponsor activation.

www.facebook.com/jets


Activ8Social




4 6 8 9 8 35

Sport:

Football (American)

#10



League:


Fans:

11,681,781

Manchester Unitedwww.facebook.com/manchesterunited

Breakdown:

A year ago nobody in the EPL was on

Facebook, but that has changed. The powerhouse of English futbol, “Man Utd”

is also a potential powerhouse with over 11 million fans. However, we’re disappointed in how the United activate their passionate global fan base.

Notable:

It would serve the United well to provide more

interactive content and engagement rather than redundantly using every tab to “Like”

the team or purchase a new red Nike jersey.


Activ8Social




9 8 7 5 6 34

Sport:

Soccer (Football)

#11



League:


Fans:

2,528,369

Dallas Cowboyswww.facebook.com/dallascowboys

Breakdown:

Fitting that one of the first American

teams on our list is “America’s Team”. The Cowboys churn out a lot of content, including a “Deal of the Day”

on team merchandise or memorabilia. Their massive fan base also puts out its fair share of content.

Notable:

The “Welcome”

tab offers Cowboys fans access to exclusive content including videos, merchandise deals, and virtual gifts. It also includes a Cowboys Twitter feed, but no sponsor activation yet.


Activ8Social




7 9 5 6 7 34

Sport:

Football (American)

#12



Vancouver Canucks

League:

National Hockey League (NHL)

Fans:

348,386

www.facebook.com/canucks

Breakdown:

The Canucks provide more video and

photo content than almost any other team on Facebook and their fans contribute well. The “Welcome”

tab is sleek and they do a phenomenal job of activating sponsors through engaging apps.

Notable:

We don’t know which is cooler -

the “Fountain Tire”

game where you shoot a puck on goal or the “Playoff Suite Contest”

where you play arcade games to win playoff prize packs.


Activ8Social




1 8 7 9 8 33

Sport:

Hockey

#13



Breakdown:

The Nuggets are one of the more social

NBA teams. The Page utilizes custom tabs, including one that gave fans the opportunity to vote for the Nuggets players to be All-Stars. They also donate money to local charities for “Likes”

and sharing of Page content.

Fans:

516,412

Denver Nuggets

Notable:

The Nuggets ongoing “Facebook Fan of the

Game”

photo contest is a phenomenal concept and activation. The winning fan gets a pair of tickets to the next home game and is featured on the Jumbotron.

www.facebook.com/denvernuggets


Activ8Social




3 7 8 8 7 33

Sport:

Basketball

League:


#14



League:


Fans:

3,837,128

Boston Celticswww.facebook.com/bostonceltics

Breakdown:

The Celtics feed their loyal fans video

and photo content with reasonable frequency, and Shaq joining the squad this year has clearly improved their Facebook footprint. The ability to buy tickets on the Page is a cool feature.

Notable:

The Celtics “3-Point Play”

game pits fans against each other as they pick the Celtics’

stats leaders each game. Assists seem like a no-brainer with Rajon

Rondo on your team.


Activ8Social




7 7 8 5 6 33

Sport:

Basketball

#15



League:


Breakdown:

The Red Wings do a great job

keeping fans interested with unique content like locker room footage and out of the ordinary pictures. They post frequently and represent charities well.

Fans:

492,124

Detroit Red Wingswww.facebook.com/detroitredwings

Notable:

The Red Wings hold a “Social Media Fan

of the Day”

photo contest where fans submit their favorite Wings related pics

to a Gmail account. The winner gets a shout out on the team’s Page.


Activ8Social




3 8 7 6 8 32

Sport:

Hockey

#16



League:


Breakdown:

The Bulls are great at revving up their fan

base through frequent posts of engaging media and highlights. They integrate their Flickr channel regularly and run a “Fan Appreciation Day”

contest where fans can comment to win a VIP tour of the United Center.

Fans: 1,830,693

Chicago Bullswww.facebook.com/chicagobulls


Activ8Social




6 7 7 5 7 32

Sport:

Basketball

#17

Notable:

The “Live Bulls Chat”

app, powered by CoverItLive, is something more teams should consider adding. It allows fans across multiple social media channels to follow games and chat in one sleek interface.



League:


Breakdown:

The most popular team in Facebook’s

most popular league. Kobe and Pau help expand the Lakers international appeal to over 7 million fans. From podcasts to over 800 links, this Page has a wealth of info but remains rather basic in nature.

Fans:

7,441,560

LA Lakers

Notable:

The Lakers have a custom “Locker Room”

tab that links out to a Flash app on the team site featuring a unique interactive tour of the locker room with the players and links to share on Facebook and Twitter.


Activ8Social




8 8 5 4 7 32

Sport:

Basketball

#18www.facebook.com/losangeleslakers



Fans:

879,836

Philadelphia Eagles

Breakdown:

The Eagles ran a smart video series to

keep fans coming back last season featuring pre/post-

game shows, “Eagles in the Community”

and “In the Locker Room”. They post frequently and keep fans updated on events at Lincoln Field via a custom tab.

Notable:

The Eagles are one of the many NFL teams to

fan-gate with the “FANZONE”

tab by requiring fans to “Like”

the Page to access exclusive content including behind-the-scenes videos, polls, and other features.

League:



Activ8Social




5 7 6 6 7 31

Sport:

Football (American)

#19www.facebook.com/philadelphiaeagles



League:

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Fans:

3,476,654

New York Yankeeswww.facebook.com/yankees

Breakdown:

America’s favorite team, the Yankees,

unsurprisingly have over 3 million fans. While MLB limits team social media initiatives, the Yankees do a good of updating fans, providing a forum for discussion and offering tons of photos.

Notable:

Considering the Yankees don’t allow fans to

post to the Wall, the fan content is strong with over 3,000 photos, many of which prominently feature the Yankees vast history, and over 800 discussion topics.


Activ8Social




7 7 6 5 6 31

Sport:

Baseball

#20



League:


Breakdown:

The Dolphins Page is very fan

friendly and they do a good job of rewarding them with prizes and exclusive content. Their video and photo content is impressive, providing just about any info a Phins

fan could possibly want.

Fans:

632,865

Miami Dolphins

Notable:

The Dolphins utilize Fan Appz

for engaging polls and quizzes, where fans can test their team knowledge or vote on all things Miami Dolphins. All results feed to fan Walls on Facebook.

www.facebook.com/miamidolphins


Activ8Social




4 8 7 4 7 30

Sport:

Football (American)

#21



League:


Breakdown:

The defending World Series champs are

the gold standard for social media usage among MLB teams. Their Page offers Giants fans captivating photo and video content on a consistent basis, keeping them engaged and active.

Fans:

891,434

San Francisco Giantswww.facebook.com/giants


Activ8Social




5 8 7 3 7 30

Sport:

Baseball

#22

Notable:

The Giants do a great job of captilizing

on their championship run, constantly exciting fans by filling the Page with high quality images of the World Series Trophy and rings that generate amazing engagement numbers.



League:


Fans:

410,446

Phoenix Sunswww.facebook.com/phoenixsuns

Breakdown:

The Suns were one of the first sports

teams on Facebook and know how to use it. Their posts are entertaining and varied, they authentically activate sponsors, and the “Suns Roster”

tab is fun for younger fans to play with.

Notable:

The “Photo Pick-Up”

app is pure marketing genius. Roaming photographers at Suns’

home games take pictures of fans, who are then directed to this tab to pick them up and share with Facebook friends.


Activ8Social




2 7 5 8 8 30

Sport:

Basketball

#23



League:

Argentine Primera

Division

Fans:

1,732,598

Breakdown:

Based out of Buenos Aires, the Boca

Juniors publish content exclusively in Spanish and offer a nice variety of club and player exclusives for fans to digest on a daily basis. They also dedicated a custom tab to their primary sponsor, Garbarino.

Notable:

It’s shocking and unacceptable that an official

Facebook Page for a club with over 1 million fans does not have its own vanity URL. This is a marketing failure as there’s no hope for fans to remember the one above.


Activ8Social




6 7 6 5 5 29

Boca Juniors#24www.facebook.com/pages/Club-Atletico-Boca-Juniors/71948513452

Sport:

Soccer (Football)



League:


Breakdown:

The reigning EPL champions

resemble Manchester United with the simplicity of their Page. Chelsea posts a good amount of photo content though with 79 albums to this point. A lack of customization still holds them back.

Fans:

4,733,733

Chelsea

Notable:

The “Fan Up”

app activates fans in a creative way. It allows them to show their pride by sharing Chelsea Facebook gifts with friends or posting them to their Wall.

www.facebook.com/chelseafc


Activ8Social



Sport:

Soccer (Football)

#25


7 7 5 5 5 29



Fans:

775,248

All Blackswww.facebook.com/allblacks

Breakdown:

Being the world’s most recognizable

Rugby team, the All Blacks Page does a great job representing the team, its sponsors and its country. The amount of videos is astonishing between the “Welcome”, “Video”

and “YouTube”

tabs.

League:

International Rugby Board (IRB)


Activ8Social




4 4 5 7 8 28

Sport:

Rugby Union

#26

Notable:

The “Give Your All”

tab, sponsored by adidas, features video of the All Blacks giving some fans the “shock of their lives”

and links out to a cool player/fan photo gallery.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=56918111914



League:


Breakdown:

In French and English, this Page puts out

an enormous amount of content with some days of 10+ posts. The “Welcome”

tab displays info on the next matchup and they run creative fan photo contests like “Put Your Game Face On”

and “Canadiens

Caption”.

Fans:

627,917

Montreal Canadiens

Notable:

The Best Buy sponsored “Fan Forum”

tab links out to the team’s discussion board where fans actively discuss team news. It’s also a clever play on words because the old arena was called the Montreal Forum.

www.facebook.com/canadiensmtl


Activ8Social




4 8 5 3 6 26

Sport:

Hockey

#27



Boston Red Soxwww.facebook.com/redsox

League:


Fans:

2,249,065


Activ8Social




7 7 4 4 4 26

Sport:

Baseball

#28

Notable:

The Red Sox get a thumbs up for holding a

“Fan of the Week”

photo contest that features the winning picture as the team’s Facebook profile for the week.

Breakdown:

MLB Pages are comprised mainly of team

website feeds. The Red Sox do a nice job of providing more content than most, but we’re not big on the the

auto-fed posts. The “Welcome”

tab prompts you to “Like”

the Page with a big red Red

Sox graphic.



League:


Breakdown:

The last of three Canadian teams

represented on this list, the Leafs may have had poor years on the ice but the Facebook Page tries to make up for it. They provide a steady stream of content to fans, but the amount of customization is limited.

Fans:

371,531

Toronto Maple Leafswww.facebook.com/torontomapleleafs

Notable:

The Page’s landing tab feature a Tylenol

activation where fans can vote for the Player of the Week for a chance to win Leafs season tickets for next season.


Activ8Social




1 7 5 6 6 25

Sport:

Hockey

#29



League:

International Rugby Board (IRB)

Breakdown:

The famous South African rugby

squad, which the movie Invictus

was based on, has tabs for both their “BOKzine”

and “BOKtube”

media channels. The “Engage”

tab shows a Twitter feed of the club’s players and coaches.

Fans:

316,896

Springboks

Notable:

The Springboks hold a daily trivia contest

for their fans featuring Rugby questions. They also churn out an enormous amount of content and utilize numerous custom FBML tabs.

www.facebook.com/springboks


Activ8Social




1 7 5 5 6 24

Sport:

Rugby Union

#30




Activ8Social



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