Fan–Athlete Interaction and Twitter Tweeting Through the Giro: A Case Study

TLDR

The study investigates how fans experience the Tour of Italy via Twitter. The authors tracked tweets from selected American and English‑speaking riders during the three‑week race. Analysis showed that Twitter increased immediacy, enabling athletes to provide commentary, foster interactivity, and offer insider perspectives, thereby creating a more social relationship between athletes and fans.

Abstract

This case study examines how fans can experience a major sporting event (cycling’s Tour of Italy) through a particular new communication technology platform—Twitter. To explore this possibility the authors tracked the “tweets” sent out by a selection of American and English-speaking riders during the 3-wk race. Their analysis of these texts revealed that Twitter served to increase immediacy between athletes and fans. This occurred as athletes provided commentary and opinions, fostered interactivity, and cultivated insider perspectives for fans. These activities position Twitter as a powerful communication technology that affords a more social vs. parasocial relationship between athletes and fans.