Sports teams looking to boost their social followings just need to do one thing: sign LeBron James.

James’ current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, has more followers across social media than any other U.S. pro sports franchise, according to a new report from STN Digital, with 63.8 million between Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. His previous employers, the Cleveland Cavaliers (28.5 million) and Miami Heat (27.4 million) are fourth and fifth in overall audience respectively, years after James departed. 

NBA teams dominate the top of the overall list, claiming the top seven slots, followed by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys (20.5 million), the NFL’s New England Patriots (17.9 million) and MLB’s New York Yankees (17.9 million). The Cowboys are still first in Sportico’s team valuations, at $10.3 billion, while the New York Knicks are fourth in franchise value despite being 18th in social following. 

The data shows the stickiness of online fandom, with Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors coming in second with 62 million followers and the Chicago Bulls, benefitting from their dynastic run in the 1990s, sitting in third place with 34.5 million. Even after a chaotic year among social media platforms, not a single spot in the top 10 changed from 2024. The report did not include MLS teams.

“You can tell, in the NBA specifically, what a global game it is, and how those championship runs definitely give you followers for years to come,” STN Digital CEO David Brickley said in an interview. 

James stands alone among players, too. On Instagram, he has more followers than the next six most popular NBA stars combined. In a separate report from polling firm YouGov, 30% of U.S. sports fans reported that they started rooting for a new team because of a specific athlete, further showing players’ modern power.

But there’s good news for everyone else: a follower isn’t worth what it once was.

The Algorithm Rules

TikTok has captured billions of hours of user attention, largely thanks to a For You feed that algorithmically recommends content based on perceived interests, rather than serving up clips from followed accounts. Other platforms, including Instagram and X, have followed suit. As a result, Brickley said, a massive audience can turn into a negative if those people are not engaging frequently with content, leading a platform to assume the team’s output is just not particularly compelling.

“Now the algorithm is saying, we actually know you better than you know yourself,” Brickley said, “And even though you don’t follow this account, we guarantee you’re going to like this content.”

The new paradigm has made it easier for younger brands, fresh athletes and new sports—from Ilona Maher to the Savannah Bananas—to quickly find massive followings. 

While the audience rankings remain steady, there was more movement in STN’s tracking of engagements per post (likes, shares, etc.). There, the Lakers still led the way with roughly 45,500 engagements per post, boosted by the shocking midseason acquisition of Luka Dončić, but the Los Angeles Dodgers jumped four spots to No. 2 (28,600) and the Detroit Lions leapt 23 spots to No. 6 (13,600).

“It’s not surprising to see a positive correlation between on-field success and social engagement for these teams,” Brickley said. “Winning helps with overall engagement, but the teams with the highest engagement are the ones that act quickly when things are going well. They stay on top of trends, remix their top moments, tap into pop culture, and publish timely, relevant content.”

Highlights Get Their Own Highlights

STN Digital also analyzed top performing individual pieces of content across sports, using data gathered by Rival IQ. One noteworthy takeaway: four of the top 15 NFL highlight videos with on-screen text tracked all featured Saquon Barkley’s backwards hurdle over a Jaguars defender. The recent recreation of that moment for Madden’s cover added millions more views to his tally. 

Highlights continue to garner eyeballs, even on platforms that serve up clips days after the moment transpired. Indiana Pacers social media staffers were up until the early morning multiple times during the playoffs, posting countless versions of Tyrese Haliburton game-winners from different perspectives on different platforms, Brickley said. 

While highlights weren’t among the highest-performing categories a year ago, teams have gotten smarter about adding eye-catching quotes or images to the beginning of the clips. This entices viewers to stick around and watch the full clip, essentially serving as mini-trailers for the short moments extracted from hours-long games. 

Other high-performing formats included player prompt videos that spotlight athlete personalities, as well as celebrity or influencer-related posts that often have the benefit of reaching audiences outside diehard sports followers. Top teams have separated themselves by excelling on more than one site.

Though TikTok’s future remains somewhat in doubt—the platform was (very briefly) banned earlier this year—the vertical video app dominated the charts, with 30 of the 50 most engaged-with posts. 

“I do see some teams pulling away resources or posts on Twitter and going all in on TikTok,” Brickley said.

(This story has been updated in the fourth paragraph to clarify that MLS teams were not included in the report.)