TikTok is pushing further into sports media by livestreaming Major League Soccer. For Inter Miami’s upcoming final match, the platform will be aiming the cameras at Lionel Messi during the game, leveraging his already significant fame to generate excitement and engagement on TikTok. In the past, social platforms like Twitter and Facebook have struggled to stream sports content independently of official broadcasters. While X previously streamed NBA, NFL, and MLB games (even with single player focus, too), the costs associated with streaming rights proved to be prohibitive. But the strategy could prove to be more effective on TikTok, as users already head to the platform for this kind of singular-focus clip content—and this year alone, there’s been more than 7M soccer-related posts. (Social Media Today)
📊 YPulse data: 24% of 13-39-year-olds who follow sports stream them on social media
