YouTube emerges as priority platform for sports industry

YouTube is followed by Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp. The rankings place Reddit as the year’s biggest riser, climbing four places to sixth, as fans are increasingly drawn towards community-focused platforms. X takes seventh place followed by Discord, Snap and Threads.

The report described Google-owned YouTube as “undoubtedly a priority platform” for IMG’s partners in the sports industry, noting that a number of athletes have successfully launched their own channels including Cristiano Ronaldo, Bryson DeChambeau and Tom Brady.

YouTube has more than 2.7 billion active users. More than 150 million Americans watch it on their TVs each month, and it recently became the first streaming platform to surpass 10% of overall viewership in the market.

The Digital Trends Report 2025 also explores the technologies and developments that will shape the sports media landscape for rightsholders over the next 12 months.

It argues that sports are more popular than ever, and that networks and streaming services are paying increasing fees for access to the world's best events. Yet, while sport dominates the big screen, phones dominate attention. IMG says 2025 will see sports abandon the notion of ‘first screen’ and ‘second screen’ and put more emphasis into winning the battle for both screens – at the same time.

It also says that 2025 will be the year when wearable tech finally starts to compete with the phone for our attention. “Wearables are for real, and sports need to prepare for a world of potentially infinite user data and distraction,” says the report.

IMG’s Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Digital, Lewis Wiltshire, said: “2024 has seen a clear advancement in direct-to-consumer strategy and a widespread industry shift towards community-focused platforms, among other trends. This is reflected in our platform power ranking, which has seen notable changes to the top 10, as opportunities for rightsholders and dynamics among digital channels evolve.”