In an Olympic year that saw IFs achieve record growth on Instagram, Badminton World Federation (BWF) went about their business to deliver across the board, ranking #1 overall, #1 on Instagram and #2 on both YouTube and Twitter.

Our fan-first approach to engagement – in which we have explored a more informal voice, particularly on Instagram – has meant our storytelling has become more inclusive to more people. 

Lloyd Green, Head of Communications, BWF

Some key takeaways from this year’s Report.

• While dropping to #2 overall, Volleyball World still managed to rank #1 on both Twitter and YouTube.
• FIFA comes in at  #3 overall, climbing 1 place to #2 on Instagram. Their performance was helped by the obvious fact that Football is the world’s most popular sport on social media (by a mile), the countdown to the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and content series including #TopTalent and #SloMoSaturday.
• The International Handball Federation (IHF) was the League Table’s biggest climber, jumping a massive 15 places in the overall ranking. They were also one of only three IFs – along with WBSC and ISA – that improved its ranking on each platform.
• The International Ski Federation (FIS) remains the highest-ranking Winter IF.

This year’s League Table provides a clear indication about which Olympic Federations – on social media at least – are in good health. While an Olympic year will always lead to bumper results for the participating IFs, it’ll be interesting to see which Federations turn the short-term rise in profile into consistent, longer-term success.

Alex Ross, Business Director, Redtorch