Badminton World Federation replaces Volleyball World as the #1 Olympic International Federation on social media.

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

Download the #SportOnSocial League Table 2022