Insights

The Conversation: NBA & WNBA are a slam dunk on Twitter

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Get your brand courtside all season long

NBA Basketball is returning, and crowds are rushing onto the timeline — between the NBA and the WNBA, the basketball conversation on Twitter is legendary. The game and its stars have a huge following and cultural reach, creating space for brands to connect with the most passionate sports fans and highly engaged audiences on Twitter all season long. 

Here’s your starting five for making moves in the basketball conversation.

Twitter is the roar of the crowd

The #NBATwitter conversation is gigantic. Last season, we saw 135 million NBA-related Tweets from over six million unique authors. With more than 42% of active Twitter users engaging with NBA content in some way,1 your brand has an opportunity to make connections and impressions beyond just diehard fans.

Don’t miss a layup: pick up the WNBA

The WNBA’s rise on the timeline has been a can’t-miss phenomenon in the sports conversation, with Tweet volume up 24% and a 34% increase in new authors. The story is clear: Women’s basketball is a critical and irreplaceable component of the overall basketball conversation that dominates on Twitter.

NBA fans are always tapping in on the timeline

If you want to reach highly-engaged fans, look no further. NBA fans Tweet more on average than fans of any other major U.S. professional sport — about 21x each per season. When you connect to the NBA conversation, you can count on basketball fans to be highly active on Twitter all season long.

The next generation of basketball fans is taking over the timeline

Tweets from Gen Z fans make up almost a third of the NBA and WNBA conversation — their #1 sport on Twitter. If you want to win influence in the sports conversation and with Zoomers, engaging with basketball fans and trends can assist you with both.

Basketball fans go into overtime with video

Video is an integral part of the basketball conversation, as fans spend 45 minutes per day watching video on Twitter.2 If you want to get your brand video in front of a passionate audience, basketball is a smart play.

Shoot your shot in the basketball conversation

#NBATwitter engages almost half of active Twitter users,3 and it’s hard to overstate the strength and influence of this conversation that features a dedicated Gen Z fanbase that loves watching video on the timeline. With everyone turning their attention to basketball, Twitter becomes the only arena that has space for every fan and brand to share NBA and WNBA moments throughout the season.

basketball player's wingspan with Tweet that reads i love twitter because everybody on here sees the game of basketball in a different way"

1. Twitter Internal Data, US only. NBA: Tweet engagements from October 19, 2021 -  June 19, 2022.

2. Twitter Internal Data, US only. User active minutes from October 19, 2021 - June 19, 2022.

3. Twitter Internal Data, US only. NBA: Tweet engagements from October 19, 2021 -  June 19, 2022.