Fan Engagement in 15 Seconds: Athletes’ Relationship Marketing During a Pandemic via TikTok

TLDR

COVID‑19 lockdowns forced sport leagues into hiatus, making fan engagement a key challenge; athletes are experimenting with new connection methods, and TikTok has emerged as a prominent short‑form platform, yet its utility as an athlete branding tool remains largely unknown. The study aims to explore how athletes use TikTok during the COVID‑19 pandemic. It uses a netnographic approach with 10 athletes to examine TikTok usage. Athlete‑generated TikTok videos are playful and authentic, and the platform can be profitably integrated into branding strategies to foster fan relationships, promote content, and attract new segments.

Abstract

As COVID-19 lockdowns force most sport leagues into hiatus, engaging fans has emerged as a key challenge confronting the sport industry. While navigating social distancing protocols, athletes are experimenting with new ways to connect with their fans. Alongside established social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), TikTok, a short-form video-sharing platform, has gained prominence in terms of registered users and shared content. Yet, little is known about the utility of TikTok as an athlete branding tool. This study uses a netnographic approach to explore the use of TikTok among athletes ( N = 10) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings reveal that athlete-generated TikTok videos are characterized as playful and authentic. While athletes are recent adopters of TikTok, this emerging social media platform can be profitably integrated into their online branding strategies. Communicating via TikTok presents opportunities for athletes to foster existing fan relationships, promote branded content, and appeal to new fan segments. Overall, athletes and sport practitioners can leverage these findings to create content for an audience that is attracted to novelty and the activities of athletes extending beyond game highlights or interviews.