Welcome to the SportOnSocial International Federations 2025 Report – your trusted source for uncovering digital insights in the sports industry – ranking 43 Summer and Winter Olympic International Federations (IFs) based on their social media performance in 2024.

Powered by Redtorch propriety tools and a unique sporting database, our in-house team has over 10 years’ experience tracking and analysing global digital signals to help clients quickly and accurately uncover insights that grow audiences, build commercial value and stay relevant.

With global social media usage surpassing 5 billion, the competition for attention has never been more intense. IFs are evolving their strategies, embracing new formats and adapting to platform shifts to stay relevant. This year’s report highlights the biggest winners, the emerging trends and the key takeaways for IFs looking to maximise their social impact.

1. World Athletics leads the way

World Athletics secured the top spot in this year’s rankings, driven by its high performances on Instagram and Facebook.

Its steady rise in Instagram rankings since Tokyo 2020 has played a key role in helping World Athletics reach #1 and demonstrates the impact of long-term strategic execution.

2. ICF records the most significant climb

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) made the largest overall jump of any IF by advancing +12 places to #23.

A significant factor was its +33-position gain on YouTube, alongside steady improvements on Facebook (+6), Instagram (+6), TikTok (+5), and X (+1). This data highlights the success of ICF’s well-rounded, multi-platform approach to content.

3. Facebook remains the largest platform for IFs

Facebook now accounts for 181.2m of the total IF audience (38%), having added a net 15.2m followers in 2024.

However, the role of Facebook varies across IFs. The Top 5 IFs use Facebook to drive engagement spikes around major events such as the FIFA World Cup. Other IFs rely on the platform for year-round audience interaction, benefitting from additional visibility during global sports events like Paris 2024.

4. Instagram continues to drive engagement

Instagram is still the leading platform for engagement, accounting for 76% of all interactions across IF social media in 2024.

Overall engagement declined by -15% YoY, most likely because of -21% drop among the top IFs. Other IFs saw a 35% increase, reinforcing the how crucial the Olympics are in driving exposure for less mainstream sports.

Instagram’s engagement share has consistently peaked in Olympic years. This emphasises its importance for IFs seeking to maximise their visibility through visual storytelling.

5. YouTube Shorts strengthens its position

YouTube was the only platform to record a YoY engagement increase for IFs, mainly owing to the continued success of Shorts.

Despite a -24% decrease in Shorts posted, their share of total YouTube engagement rose from 78% to 83% and reinforced the role they play in audience growth and content discovery.

6. X engagement continues to decline

Engagement on X has fallen -32% since Tokyo 2020. Post volume also decreased by -11%. More IFs experienced a decline in engagement (21) than in growth (16), suggesting a broader shift in focus towards other social platforms, as X becomes a lower priority for many.

7. TikTok continues to grow but at a slower pace

TikTok’s IF audience increased +23% in 2024, bringing it to within 4.8m followers of X’s collective IF audience size, whilst closing the gap with YouTube too.

Nevertheless, growth slowed compared to 2023, likely due to content restrictions during Paris 2024 which limited opportunities for high-quality video content and contributed to a drop in engagement.

Despite this, TikTok outperformed all other platforms in terms of follower growth, reinforcing its role in engaging younger audiences and expanding IF visibility outside the Olympic cycle.

More insights can be found in the full report: SportOnSocial International Federations 2025 Report.