Evolución del uso de TikTok en el fútbol español.

Estudio comparativo 2021-2023

Evolution of the use of TikTok in

Spanish football. Comparative study

2021-2023

ARTICLE

Universidad Internacional de Valencia

For the past 15 years, he has worked in advertising and as a freelance consultant. He´s also

been a speaker at various academic events on branding and strategic marketing, including

three years as academic coordinator of the Advanced Course in Sports Communication

and Marketing at ESUE Business School. Currently, he is a Marketing and MBA coordinator

professor at the International University of Valencia. In addition, he’s been a lecturer in two

other university Master’s programs.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9009-3946

Franciscojavier.zamoras@campusviu.es

Universitat Jaume I

Guillermo Sanahuja Peris holds a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences, a degree in Advertising

and Public Relations from the University of Alicante, a Master’s degree in Marketing and

Communication Management from the Ide-Cesem Business School, and a Master’s degree in

New Processes and Innovation in Communication from the Universitat Jaume I. He currently

works as a lecturer at the Department of Communication Sciences at the Universitat Jaume I.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5582-3395

gsanahuj@uji.es

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit

Guillermo Sanahuja Peris

OBRA DIGITAL, Núm. 13, Septiembre 2017 - Enero 2018, pp.97-118, e-ISSN 2014-5039

OBRA DIGITAL, Núm. 24, Diciembre 2023, pp. 73-91, e-ISSN 2014-5039

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25029/od.2023.385.24

7474

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

Abstract

This paper studies in a comparative and longitu-

dinal way the use of TikTok as a communication

channel of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético

de Madrid, Sevilla CF and Valencia CF, with the

aim of categorising and understanding their

messages. The methodological design consists

of a content analysis of the ve proles during

March 2021 and March 2023, analysing a total

of 312 videos. The ndings are contrasted with

four in-depth interviews with sports profession-

als. The results show a 135% increase in the

number of publications, as well as the stylistic

use of humour and entertainment as the main

content.

The results show a 135% increase in the num-

ber of publications, the stylistic use of humour

and entertainment as the main content.

KEYWORDS

TikTok, football, sports communication, social

media.

Resumen

Este trabajo estudia de forma comparativa y

longitudinal el uso de TikTok como canal de

comunicación del FC Barcelona, Real Madrid,

Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla CF y Valencia CF,

con el objetivo de categorizar y comprender

sus mensajes. El diseño metodológico consiste

en un análisis de contenido de los cinco per-

les durante marzo de 2021 y marzo de 2023,

donde se analizan un total de 312 vídeos. Los

hallazgos se contrastan con cuatro entrevistas

en profundidad a profesionales del deporte.

Los resultados muestran el incremento de un

135% en el número de publicaciones, así como

el recurso estilístico del humor y el entreteni-

miento como contenido principal.

PALABRAS CLAVE

TikTok, fútbol, comunicación deportiva, redes

sociales.

Universitat d’Alacant

Sandra Arias Montesinos is currently working on her Doctorate in Communication and

Advertising. She holds a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of

Alicante, a University Specialist in Marketing Management from the University Miguel de

Cervantes, a Master’s in Community Management and Social Media Management in Business

from FUNDEUN, a Master’s in Strategic Planning from Hoala and a Master in Business

Administration (MBA) from Fundesem Business School. She currently works as an SEM

specialist at Meridiano Seguros, an activity that she combines with teaching as an associate

professor at the University of Alicante and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9448-3300

sandra.arias.mon@gmail.com

RECEIVED: 2023-05-31 / ACCEPTED: 2023-09-13

Sandra Arias Montesinos

7575

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

1. INTRODUCTION AND

STATE OF THE ART

1.1. INTRODUCTION

Since the end of the 20th century, we have

witnessed the transformation of large global

sports organizations into truly multinational

entertainment companies (Andrews & Jack-

son, 2004). The irruption of digital technology

and Web 1.0 triggered a reconsideration of the

communicative function of sports clubs. Thus,

they went from informative relations, such as

promoting their activity and supporting the

demand for news, to the rst version of con-

tent-producing entities.

The next evolutionary leap came with the ex-

pansion of social networks during the rst dec-

ade of this century. With Facebook and Twitter

at the forefront, the opening of new channels

brought about transformations in the entire

communication process: the typology of the

message, the diversity of audiences, the evo-

lution of tone, and the obligatory bidirection-

ality, understood as the conversation between

fan and club. Moreover, content generation

transcended the classic system of own media

to a transmedia digital ecosystem within each

sports organization (Kuzma et al., 2014).

In the case of the big European football clubs,

this transmedia ecosystem, which incorporated

instantaneous and public metrics, represented

a new playing eld to compete for an audience

whose limit was set in the last village with a

network connection. Thus, the Big Five clubs

expanded the stas of their digital communi-

cation areas (Sanahuja, 2012) to oer the best

content. They were subject to an eervescent

panorama of new tools (Borges, 2019), apps,

and, fundamentally, modes of entertainment

consumption by the fans.

In this context, the social network TikTok burst

onto the scene as the latest success story of

an interactive and relational application on the

social web (Fernandez-Peña et al., 2014). It be-

came a complementary network to the already

consolidated ones such as Facebook, Twitter,

YouTube, and Instagram; moreover, it had the

singularity of being created outside Silicon Val-

ley. In 2016, the Chinese company ByteDance

launched a mobile application of short music

clips and trivial content called Douyin. In 2017,

after becoming popular in Asia, it jumped to

other continents, merging with Musica.ly.

Since its international debut, TikTok’s growth

has been exponential. ByteDance revealed that

by July 2020, it had over 689 million active us-

ers worldwide (Sherman, 2020; Curry, 2022).

This gure increased to 1 billion by September

2021 (Bursztynsky, 2021; Curry, 2022; TikTok,

2021). The latest public data states that Tik-

Tok had 1.092 billion users aged 18 and over

in April 2023 (Datareportal, 2023). This nuance

is essential, as TikTok allows users aged 13 to

However, one gure that conrms TikTok’s

penetration is the percentage of active users,

dened as those who access the platform on

a daily basis. According to SensorTower (2023),

TikTok has 29% of active users; this puts it in

second place behind Instagram, which had

39% of active users in the second quarter of

2022. However, users spent more time on By-

7676

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

teDance’s app than on Mark Zuckerberg’s app:

95 minutes compared to Instagram’s 51 min-

utes.

In Spain, TikTok is the fastest-growing social

media platform. According to IAB (2023), its

suggested awareness has increased from 75%

to 78%, and its usage has risen from 30% to

36% this year.

1.2. STATE OF THE ART

Football’s importance and social impact lead

to a conuence of media, political, economic,

and cultural interests, as Meneses and Áva-

los (2013) stated. Consequently, football clubs

maintain a continuous presence in the commu-

nication ecosystem, which implies a permanent

and active management of the communication

and public image of the club.

The communication management of football

clubs has been extensively studied (Fernández

et al., 2019; Olabe, 2009; Sanahuja, 2012). Ac-

cording to Castillo et al. (2015), there are vari-

ous actors involved in such communication: the

club itself (Ginesta, 2010), the players, the me-

dia (Olabe, 2011), the fans themselves, and the

political institutions, when there is an associa-

tion between national identity and sport, as in

the case of national football teams (González,

2014, Ginesta and San Eugenio, 2013; Xifra,

2008).

Regarding the communication issued by the

football club, Sotelo (2012) refers to the pres-

ence of La Liga teams on social networks. He

states that it is one of the most active in Europe,

in terms of followers, ahead of the British Pre-

mier League. However, the author concluded

that there was a glaring lack of online strategy,

overshadowed by the fanaticism in Spain for

football. Cano (2017) points to the prolic pub-

lication of club content on Facebook, Twitter,

and Instagram, which goes beyond the sport-

ing aspect.

Lobillo and Muñoz (2016), in their study on the

presence of Barcelona FC and Real Madrid on

Twitter in Arabic, point out that, at that time, no

personalized, stable, and long-lasting strategic

planning was in sight.

This line of thought is supported by Segar-

ra-Saavedra and Hidalgo-Marí (2020) in their

analysis of Spanish footballers on Instagram,

stating that “there is no professionalized

planned management” and that this digital

presence on Instagram is “improvised.” (p.51)

Concerning TikTok, Sidorenko-Bautista et al.

(2022) analyze the use of this social network by

Spanish First Division football clubs. There, it is

also revealed that the clubs do not have a spe-

cic strategy for this network, as they recycle

clips published on other platforms.

For their part, Cano and Galiano (2022), in their

study of the Egyptian club Ah-Ahly Sporting

Club’s TikTok communication, carried out a

content analysis that concluded that publica-

tions related to the club’s players, post-match

reports and training sessions were the most

used in their publications.

Based on this introductory tour and the con-

ceptual framework drawing, the purpose re-

volves around this question: How has the con-

tent on TikTok issued by the ve major Spanish

football clubs with the most signicant number

7777

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

Stages of the study

Docu-

mentary

study

Content

analysis

In-depth in-

terviews

Conclusions

Review of

research

on sport,

social me-

dia, and

TikTok

Sample

selection

Design of

semistruc-

tured ques-

tionnaires

Comparison

of the nd-

ings of the

phases

Determi-

nation of

the analy-

sis table

Selection

and contact

of interview-

ees

Review of

objectives

and hypoth-

eses

Fieldwork Conducting

interviews

Compar-

ison with

research

Table 1

Methodology outline.

Source: Own elaboration

of followers evolved between 2021 and 2023?

The answer to this question will contribute

to the debate on corporate communication

trends of sports organizations within the digital

ecosystem and social networks.

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1. OBJECTIVES

1. To nd out the evolution of the use of TikTok

in Spanish professional football between 2021

and 2023.

2. To observe the periodicity of the publications.

3. To examine the type of content used on Tik-

Tok by the clubs analyzed.

4. To analyze the tone and style of the publica-

tions made on TikTok by professional football

clubs about their identity and positioning.

5. To assess the importance of this social net-

work in football clubs as a tool for engagement

and loyalty among the public.

2.2. RESEARCH DESIGN

To achieve the objectives, a methodological

combination has been used with a rst phase

based on a content analysis with a longitu-

dinal approach and a second phase in which

the results obtained are contrasted with four

in-depth interviews. These interviews were

conducted with four professionals in the eld

of sports communication.

2.3. CONTENT ANALYSIS

The content analysis is based on previous stud-

ies on the use of content published on TikTok

and Instagram (Sidorenko-Bautista et al., 2022;

Cano & Galiano, 2022; Su et al., 2020b; and

Geurin, 2017) and combines the extraction

of quantitative and qualitative ndings. The

research approach is exploratory, given that

this is an emerging object of study, with little

academic literature on TikTok and where it is

hoped to lay the foundations for future stud-

ies. Likewise, the number of proles analyzed

(ve) is similar to that of the research by Su et al.

7878

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

Team Posi-

tion

Start

Tik-

Tok

Followers

in March

2021

Followers

in March

2023

Real

Madrid

1º August

2019

5,000,000 30,000,000

FC Bar-

celona

2º July

2019

8,300,000 27,800,000

Atlético

de Ma-

drid

3º August

2019

2,200,000 7,800,000

Sevilla

4º April

2020

355,000 3,200,000

Valen-

cia FC

5º August

2019

150,000

2,600,000

Table 2

Teams and followers on TikTok.

Source: Own elaboration

(2020b) and with a sport-communicative con-

text that coincides with that of Sidorenko-Bau-

tista et al. (2022).

The content analyzed corresponds to the posts

made on the prole feeds of the ve clubs se-

lected as a sample during two study periods.

Thus, this study has a longitudinal approach

(Arnau &ono, 2008). The chosen dates were

1-30 March 2021 and 1-30 March 2023. This

range corresponds to March, where sporting

activity is constant. In this period, clubs play La

Liga matches on weekends and European com-

petitions during the week. It is, therefore, one

of the months with the most regular sporting

activity.

Data collection took place in the weeks follow-

ing the publication of the messages in each of

the two years. The analysis variables in a recent

domain, such as the social network TikTok, are

described and justied in more detail in sec-

tions 2.3.2. and 2.3.3.

2.3.1. DELIMITATION

OF THE SAMPLE

The ve Spanish professional La Liga Santander

clubs with the most followers have been select-

ed. In descending order of the number of fol-

lowers on TikTok, these are:

2.3.2. STUDY OF THE

CATEGORISATION

OF CONTENT

Given the recent interest in studying TikTok,

content categorization is based on previous re-

search by several authors who have addressed

content categorization on this platform. The

most recent categorization, and the one that

most inuences this study, is the one proposed

by Sidorenko-Bautista et al. (2022).

In the analysis, the research has focused on

quantitative aspects such as the virality indices

dened by Congosto (2015) and engagement,

described by Rojas and Redondo (2013).

To quantify these indices, the following met-

rics have been measured: the total number

of “Likes” on a video, the total number of com-

ments, the total number of times it was shared,

and the number of views. These metrics are

public and are considered the most common

engagement and reach metrics in social net-

works, according to Mejía Llano (2017) and

González Fernández-Villavicencio et al. (2013).

The level of engagement of each video analyz-

ed has been obtained by using the following

formula:

(Total Likes + Total Comments + Total

Shares) x 100 / Number of Views

To calculate the global engagement index, the

total metrics of the content broadcasted were

added up, following the methodology proposed

by Núñez (2017).

7979

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

2.3.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE

PROPOSED CATEGORISATION

Based on the comparative analysis of the

preceding analysis tables and on the proposal

of original analysis criteria to achieve the objec-

tives of the research, the following analysis var-

iables are proposed for the sample:

• A) Subject matter

1. Sport: includes training, competitions and

matches.

2. Community: The protagonists are the fans.

3. Social causes: social causes to which the or-

ganizations are committed (equality, sustaina-

bility, etc.).

4. Merchandising: They include products relat-

ed to the club and aim to sell.

5. Sponsorship: advertising a brand or product

related, or not, to the club.

6. Entertainment created by the club.

7. Entertainment created by sources outside

the club and replicated by the club on its ac-

count.

8. Challenges by the club: The club creates chal-

lenges for its fandom and TikTok users to par-

ticipate in and create more interaction.

• B) Tone, text, and sound

1. Tone

1. Humorous: when the purpose of the publica-

tions is to make people laugh.

2. Energetic: a dynamic tone to show sports

publications, training, championships, or

matches.

3. Emotional: appeals to the feelings of users

and fans through memories and good or bad

moments of clubs, sportsmen, and sportswom-

en.

2. Text

All sports organizations contain a description in

every post they make. Most often, they also use

hashtags in their descriptions to try to reach

more users.

Organizations publish their videos in dierent

languages, depending on the publication or

organization, but generally use English. In ad-

dition, they post videos that contain text in the

video itself. The texts share common elements

across all organizations, such as emoticons, in-

formal tones, and hashtags.

3. Sound

In the posts of sports organizations, there are

many types of sound.

1. Ambient sound

2. Instrumental music

3. Music with lyrics

4. Narration of the clip

5. Interviews and press conferences

• c) Interaction

8080

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

Table 4

Athletes and professionals interviewed in depth.

Table 3

Type of TikTok content.

Subject Tone Sound Interac-

tion

Sports Humor-

istic

Ambient

sound

Reproduc-

tions/views

Community Energetic Instrumen-

tal music

Likes

Social caus-

Emo-

tional

Music with

lyrics

Comments

Merchan-

dizing

Text Narration

of clip

Shared

Sponsorship Languag-

Interviews

and press

conferenc-

Entertain-

ment (in-

tern)

Hashtags

Entertain-

ment (exter-

nal)

Emoti-

cons

Challenges

Source: Own elaboration

Name and

Surname

Job Title/Profession

Guillem Graell Director of D2F Partners and

Chief Marketing Ocer of FC

Barcelona between 2017 and

2021.

Marcos García General Manager - GoSharing-

Dreams

Puri Vicente Director of Argot Comuni-

cación, an agency specializing

in Social Networks.

Laura Palanques Account Manager Twelfhun-

dred

The impact and engagement of club publi-

cations are analyzed and measured through

views, likes, comments, shares, and downloads

of the video.

• d) Frequency of publication

The frequency with which sports clubs publish

content on TikTok is analyzed.

2.3. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS

Once the results of the quantitative phase have

been obtained, they are subjected to confron-

tation with qualitative eldwork (Álvarez-Gayou,

2003).

This technique was chosen because qualitative

interviews are exible and dynamic; moreover,

they allow the ndings of the previous phase

to be discussed and contextualized (Taylor &

Bogdan, 2008). For the present research, a

semi-structured interview system was devel-

oped, where the questions discuss the results

obtained from the quantitative part, as well as

issues aecting the work of the dierent pro-

les associated with athlete communication.

Between three and ve open questions are

asked. The interviews took place between 10

April and 23 May 2023.

To conduct the interviews, we have selected

four professional proles with direct or indirect

involvement in sports communication manage-

ment.

3. RESULTS

3.1 FC BARCELONA

FC Barcelona experienced a notable growth in

followers and number of posts between 2021

and 2023. Content has diversied, with a de-

crease in sporting focus and an increase in en-

tertainment content. Content related to sports

8181

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

Table 5

Comparison of the primary

data obtained from FC Barcelona.

Table 6

Comparison of the main data obtained from Real Madrid.

Source: Own elaboration.

*Publication with more engagement

Metrics Year 2021 Year 2023

Followers

8.3 millon

27.8 millon

Publications

Media publication

0.96

2.8

Content

- Sports

50%

38%

- Entertainment

37%

13%

Style

- Epic and dynamic

tone

63%

31%

- Humorous tone

23.00%

52%

- English speaking

100%

65%

-Instrumental

music

36.70%

34%

- Ambient sound

21%

Engagement*

- Views

20 millon

3.6 millon

Metrics 2021 2023

Followers

5 millon

30 millon

Publications

Media publication

0.84

1.2

Content

- Sports

84%

32.50%

- Entertainment

0% social exter-

nal and internal

50% social,

external, and

internal

Style

- Epic and dynamic

tone

84%

42.50%

- Humorous tone

15.40%

47.50%

- English speaking

100%

60%

- Instrumental music

53.80%

25%

- Ambient sound

23.50%

35%

Engagement*

- Views

6 millo

3.5 millon

sponsorship, as well as content of a social na-

ture, increases.

In terms of style, the epic/dynamic tone de-

clined, while the humorous tone became the

main one. The text was mainly in English in

2021, but in 2023, descriptions in Catalan and,

to a lesser extent, in Spanish were included.

3.2 REAL MADRID

Real Madrid shows an exponential growth

(+300%) in followers compared to 2021. Top-

ics have been shifting towards entertainment

and humor, characteristic of the TikTok social

network. This implies a greater adaptation of

communications.

Stylistically, 2023 used descriptions in English

and Spanish with short, informal, and modern

texts. There was also a change in the music

used, with an increase in the use of instrumen-

tal music (55%).

Regarding engagement, the most successful

post in 2021 generated almost 6 million views

and more than 450,000 likes, while in 2023,

the top video garnered 3.5 million views and

64,000 “likes”.

3.3 ATLÉTICO DE MADRID

Like its predecessors, Atlético de Madrid has

a signicant increase in followers and publica-

tions. Regarding the typology of its publications,

a large part of its content continues to be sport-

8282

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

Table 7

Comparison of the main data obtained

from Atlético de Madrid.

Table 8

Comparison of the main data obtained for Sevilla FC.

Metrics Year 2021 Year 2023

Followers

2.2 millons

7.8 millons

Publications

Media publication

0.43

1.5

Content

Sports

76.9%

60%

Entertainment

15.4%

27%

Style

Epic and dynamic tone

61.5%

50%

Humorous tone

30.8%

41%

English speaking

76%

45%

Modern music

53.8%

33%

Ambient sound

30.8%

47%

Engagement*

Views

3 millons

9 millons

Source: Own elaboration.

*Publication with more engagement

Metrics Year 2021 Year 2023

Followers

355,000

3,2 millon

Publications

Media publication

0.22

0.6

Content

Sports

42.90%

85%

Entertainment

26%

15%

Style

Epic and dynamic tone

85.70%

70%

Humorous tone

10%

20%

English speaking

60%

95%

Modern music

57.10%

50%

Ambient sound

15%

45%

Engagement*

Views

280,000

37,000

ing, with an epic/dynamic tone. However, there

is an increase in humorous content.

The football club is going for realism. In 2023,

ambient sound predominates, compared to

modern music in 2021. Regarding engage-

ment, there is a substantial increase in views

between the most viewed publications in 2021

and 2023. However, in 2021, there were more

than 370,000 “likes,” while in 2023, there were

60,000 “likes”.

3.4 SEVILLA FC

The club has signicantly increased its commu-

nity of followers and its average daily publica-

tion from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, there will be

an increase in sports content and a reduction

in humor content compared to 2021.

The predominant tone in 2021 was epic/dy-

namic in 85.7%, but in 2023, it decreased to

70%, giving way to a humorous tone in 20% of

the occasions. In terms of language, in 2021,

English was used more in descriptions, while in

2023, Spanish was predominant.

Regarding music, in 2021, modern music with

lyrics was the most used (57.1%), but in 2023

ambient sound stood out with 45%.

8383

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

Table 9

Comparison of the main data obtained from Valencia CF.

Table 10

Comparison of number of publications and average

number of publications during March 2021 and 2023.

Source: Own elaboration.

*Publication with more engagement

Metrics Year 2021 Year 2023

Followers

150,000

2.6 millon

Publications

Media publication

0.57

0.7

Content

Sports

46%

21%

Entertainment

50%

47%

Style

Epic and dynamic

tone

31.3%

50%

Humorous tone

62.5%

47%

English speaking

0.32%

0.13%

Modern music

43%

26%

Sonido ambiente

37%

60.8%

Engagement*

Views

185,000

95,000

Club

Year

2021

Year

2023

Average

publica-

tion rate

(per day)

2021

Average

publication

rate (per

day) 2023

FC Barce-

lona

0.96

2.8

Real Ma-

drid

0.84

1.2

Atlético de

Madrid

0.43

1.5

Valencia CF

0.57

0.7

Sevilla CF

0.22

0.6

In terms of engagement, in 2021, the most suc-

cessful post had more than 280,000 views and

more than 35,000 likes, while in 2023, the most

successful post had more than 37,000 views,

71,000 likes and 833 comments.

3.5 VALENCIA CF

Percentage-wise, the most signicant increase

in followers between 2021 and 2023 is for Va-

lencia CF, which goes from 150,000 to 2.6 mil-

lion in two years. The predominant content in

2021 and 2023 is entertainment, with sports

content dropping considerably between these

years.

In terms of language, the content is mainly in

Spanish in both years. The use of English in

publications is minimal, only 12.5% in 2021 and

0.23% in 2023. In terms of music, there is an

increase in the use of ambient sound, which

represents 60.8% in 2023, while modern and

instrumental music decreases to 26%.

Regarding engagement, the most successful

post in 2023 got over 95,000 views, 83,200

likes, and 1,045 comments. In comparison, the

most successful post in 2021 has more than

185,000 views and less than 5,000 likes.

8484

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

Table 12

Most used style types per year and club.

Table 11

Most used content types per year and club.

Club Year 2021 Year 2023

FC Barce-

lona

50% sports

37.5% sports

37% entertainment

13% entertainment

Real Ma-

drid

84% sports

32.5% sports

0% social external and

internal

50% social external

and internal

Atlético de

Madrid

76.9% sports

60% sports

15.4% entertainment

27% entertainment

Valencia

46% sports

21% sports

50% entertainment

47% entertainment

Sevilla CF

42.9% sports

85% sports

26% entertainment

15% entertainment

Source: Own elaboration

Source: Own elaboration.

Club

Year 2021

Year 2023

Barcelona

63% epic and dynam-

ic tone

31% epic and dy-

namic tone

23% tone of humor

52% tone of humor

36.7% instrumental

music

34% instrumental

music

100% English lan-

guage

65% English lan-

guage

Real

Madrid

84% epic and dynam-

ic tone

42.5% epic and dy-

namic tone

15.4% tone of humor

47.5% tone of humor

53.8% modern music

25% modern music

100% English lan-

guage

60% English lan-

guage

Atlético de

Madrid

61.5% epic and dy-

namic tone

50% epic and dy-

namic tone

30.8% tone of humor

41% tone of humor

53.8% modern music

33% modern music

76% English language

45% English lan-

guage

Valencia

31.3% epic and dy-

namic tone

50% epic and dy-

namic tone

62.5% tone of humor

47% tone of humor

43% modern music

26% modern music

25% English language

1% English language

Sevilla CF

85.7% epic and dy-

namic tone

70% epic and dy-

namic tone

10% tone of humor

20% tone of humor

57.1% modern music

50% modern music

60% English language

95% English lan-

guage

3.6 COMPARISON OF TIKTOK

USE IN FOOTBALL CLUBS

Having analyzed each football club’s TikTok

postings individually, a more general compar-

ison between the dierent clubs is necessary.

As noted in Table 1, all ve clubs experienced

signicant growth in the number of followers

on TikTok between 2021 and 2023. These re-

sults reect the ongoing popularity of football

on the platform and the close competition be-

tween big clubs such as Barcelona and Madrid.

All ve clubs have increased their activity on Tik-

Tok, posting more content and more frequently

between 2021 and 2023. FC Barcelona leads in

the total number of posts, as well as the aver-

age number of posts per day.

3.6.1. TYPE OF CONTENT

BROADCASTED

Sports content is predominant in both periods.

This indicates that sports-related content is a

priority for clubs when posting content on this

social network. However, there is a decrease in

the percentage of sports content and a trend

towards more diversication, including more

entertainment-related content. This may be a

strategy to attract a wider audience and keep

fans interested in the platform.

8585

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

Table 13

Publications with the most engagement per year and club.

Source: Own elaboration.

Club

Year 2021

Year 2023

FC Barcelona

20 millon

3.6 millon

Real Madrid

6 millon

3.5 millon

Atlético de Madrid

3 millon

9 millon

Valencia CF

185,000

95,000

Sevilla CF

280,000

37,000

The use of the tone of humor has increased sig-

nicantly in the majority of clubs in 2023. This

suggests that clubs use this resource to con-

nect with and engage their audience.

Regarding speech, most clubs have reduced

the percentage of English content in 2023. This

could indicate an intention to reach out to a

more diverse and multilingual audience on Tik-

Tok initially but then move closer to home.

There is a general trend towards a more hu-

morous tone and a reduction in the use of in-

strumental music in favor of various musical

styles. These changes reect an adaptation of

the clubs to the preferences and dynamics of

the TikTok platform.

3.6.3. ENGAGEMENT

Regarding engagement, it can be concluded

that some featured posts generated a high

level of interaction from followers, with many

views, likes, and comments. These posts tend

to be related to relevant events, participation of

prominent players or collaborations with other

content creators, and content that is very fo-

cused on Generation Z.

The table shows the publication with the most

engagement for each club. The dierence be-

tween the two periods lies in two main axes;

the rst is the explosion of TikTok in that period,

which benets the content more, and the sec-

ond has to do with the context in which society

was moving, caused by the pandemic.

3.7 CONTRAST STAGE

The results obtained in the quantitative stage

are contrasted and contextualized with four in-

depth interviews with professionals in the eld

of sport or specialized in TikTok. The conver-

gent and divergent points, as well as the most

relevant ndings, are outlined below.

3.7.1 FACTORS INFLUENCING

THE GROWTH OF

CLUB FOLLOWERS

Each club has its characteristics, from its fan

base to its level of media interest. These as-

pects, along with sporting performance, can

impact, either positively or negatively, on the

number of fans they attract.

Graell highlights how risk appetite can vary

between clubs. He takes Real Madrid as an ex-

ample, as it tends to avoid risks, especially in

new media (Graell, personal communication,

15 April 2023).

However, Puri Vicente provides another per-

spective by identifying three key factors that

have driven the accelerated growth in follow-

ers: the increase in TikTok users, the increase

in the number of posts, and the proliferation

of TikTok content on other platforms, such as

Reels (P. Vicente, personal communication, 18

April 2023).

3.7.2 CHALLENGES IN

GENERATING SOCIAL

MEDIA CONTENT

8686

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

Generating content on TikTok is not without its

challenges. García stresses that the main chal-

lenge lies in balancing viral content with the

club’s branding (García, personal communica-

tion, 22 April 2023).

Added to this are other challenges mentioned

by Vicente, such as the need for originality, the

constant creation of content, and the impor-

tance of having an internal team dedicated to

TikTok.

Palanques, on the other hand, insists on the

importance of adapting content to the plat-

form. He criticizes clubs such as Valencia and

Sevilla because, in his opinion, they repeat con-

tent from other networks and do not achieve

the desired engagement (L. Palanques, person-

al communication, 30 April 2023).

3.7.3 IMPORTANCE OF

ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT

IN CLUB STRATEGY

Entertainment content has played a central

role in the clubs’ strategy on TikTok. Graell ar-

gues that aspects such as the rivalry and his-

tory of the clubs oer them the opportunity to

generate content that truly resonates with their

fans (Graell, personal communication, 15 April

2023).

Garcia complements this point by emphasizing

that, while anyone can create entertaining con-

tent, clubs must oer something unique and

distinctive (Garcia, personal communication, 22

April 2023). Palanques closes this point by re-

iterating that TikTok is essentially an entertain-

ment platform and that users are looking for

content that entertains them rather than direct

promotions.

3.7.4 STRATEGIES AND

FORMULAS TO GENERATE

ENGAGEMENT

Engagement is a vital metric in any social net-

work. Although, as Palanques points out, there

is no magic formula to guarantee it, it is crucial

to use the metrics that TikTok provides to tune

in to what the audience wants (L. Palanques,

personal communication, April 30, 2023).

Vicente provides a more detailed view, stress-

ing the importance of keeping up to date with

trends, observing other creators, and adapting

their strategies to the needs of a sports club

(P. Vicente, personal communication, 18 April

2023).

4. DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSIONS

4.1 DISCUSSION

Through the study, it was found that sports

and entertainment content, with an epic and

dynamic approach and following the codes im-

posed by TikTok, are the ones that generate the

greatest attraction in the football clubs studied.

This nding aligns with the thesis of Su et al.

(2020b), which highlights the unique, casual,

and authentic nature of TikTok compared to

other social platforms.

TikTok synthesizes three growing trends in so-

cial media: one, the visual-televisual medium,

which has always enjoyed great popularity; two,

an algorithm that is structured to oer a better

user experience according to tastes; and three,

a platform designed for smartphone cameras

(Guinaudeau et al., 2022).

8787

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

This attraction can be attributed to the fact that

TikTok oers a more genuine and authentic

means of interacting with fans compared to

more traditional platforms that are often sat-

urated with promotional and less personalized

content. In this context, football clubs have

a unique opportunity to present themselves

from a dierent, more human, and closer per-

spective to their fans, which can strengthen

their relationship and connection with them.

The decision by major football clubs to establish

a presence on TikTok, as suggested by Sidoren-

ko-Bautista et al. (2022), not only validates the

growing importance of this platform but also re-

ects a strategic shift in how these institutions

wish to project themselves in the digital world.

The signicant 135% growth in posts from 2021

to 2023 supports this claim. This signals a de-

termined commitment by clubs to adapt and

evolve in line with the changing preferences of

their audience.

The clubs have been able to adapt to the net-

work and the audience, modifying their com-

munication strategy and their content towards

sport and entertainment, dynamic and agile,

allowing them to get closer to the new gener-

ations. A review of the content published re-

arms that they use TikTok’s native formats

and collaborations, with its codes in terms of

graphics and sound, and produced specically

for this social network. This allows us to assess

the communication management of the clubs

on TikTok, as well as to establish similarities

and dierences with previous studies on oth-

er social platforms (Segarra-Saavedra & Hidal-

go-Marí, 2020; Lobillo & Muñoz, 2016), where

communication on Instagram or Twitter is de-

scribed as improvised.

The contribution of Garcia et al. (2022) provides

further context regarding the nature of TikTok

posts. By focusing on day-to-day content, clubs

not only oer a behind-the-scenes look at club

operations and the daily lives of their players

and sta but also demonstrate a willingness

to move away from traditional communication

and marketing approaches. This strategic deci-

sion can be seen as an attempt by the clubs to

humanize their brand and make it more relat-

able and more appealing to a younger, digitally

native fan base.

While football clubs have always been highly

visible and inuential in popular culture, their

adaptation and success in TikTok suggests rec-

ognizing the need to evolve in line with contem-

porary media and changing fan expectations.

4.2 CONCLUSIONS

The evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish

professional football between 2021 and 2023

has been remarkable. All the indicators ana-

lyzed point to the quantitative and qualitative

leaps made by the clubs under study. Both

the accumulated followers and the volume of

publications (from 92 in total in 2021 to 219 in

2023), as well as the adaptation of the audiovis-

ual pieces to the demands and trends of the so-

cial network, reveal the allocation of resources

of these clubs in the production of content for

TikTok. In other words, the management of this

social network has been professionalized; it has

gone from a management in which the proles

existed to test the channel and be present to a

management that can be considered strategic

and sophisticated just two years later.

In terms of the type of content used, enter-

tainment has become a determining factor in

the clubs’ strategy on TikTok. Fans prefer en-

8888

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

tertainment content, heavily based on humor

and sporting content, rather than promotional

content. Clubs have leveraged their history and

rivalry to generate targeted content that reso-

nates with their supporters and football fans

but have accepted the unwritten rules of the

platform. This ability to oer content that is dif-

ferent from other media is what has attracted

fans and kept them engaged on the platform.

Regarding the tone and style of the publica-

tions, it is worth noting that originality, fun,

and spontaneity are crucial elements to stand

out on TikTok. Clubs have managed to adapt

their communication style to the preferences

of this entertainment platform. Some clubs,

such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético,

have adapted successfully, as the comparison

shows, while others, such as Sevilla and Valen-

cia, are building the most relevant narrative in

this context.

Finally, assessing the importance of this social

network for football clubs as a tool for engage-

ment and loyalty among the public, it can be

concluded that TikTok allows them to connect

with their audience from a dierent perspec-

tive than that previously used in other media

available to the club. Today, clubs face new

challenges, such as creating viral content that,

in addition to achieving visibility, transmits the

club’s identity. This is one of the focuses on

which clubs are working and which, in the com-

ing years, will be a great competition o the

pitch, with TikTok as a backdrop.

Considering the exploratory nature of the

research and the limited sample, this study

provides an exciting starting point for future

research that could further investigate the evo-

lution of these challenges.

8989

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

REFERENCES

Álvarez-Gayou, J.L. (2003). Cómo hacer investigación cualitativa. Fundamentos y

metodología. Paidós.

Andrews, D.L., & Jackson, S.J. (ed) (2004). Sport, culture and advertising. Identi-

ties, Commodities and the Politics of Representation. Routledge.

Arnau, J., & Bono, R. (2008). Estudios longitudinales. Modelos de diseño y

análisis. Escritos de Psicología, 2, 32-41. DOI: 10.24310/espsiescpsi.

v2i1.13356

Bursztynsky, J. (2021). TikTok says 1 billion people use the app each month. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/27/tiktok-reaches-1-billion-month-

ly-users.html

Cano, R. (2017). Técnicas de marketing de los clubes de fútbol de élite en las

redes sociales. RETOS. Revista de Ciencias de la Administración y Economía,

7(13), 73-88. https://doi.org/10.17163/ret.n13.2017.03

Cano, R., & Galiano, A. (2022). El Ah Ahly Sporting Club y su gestión del mar-

keting y la comunicación en la red social Tiktok. En: El Mouden, M.,

Martín, A.J., González, R., & Crismán, R. (coord). El mundo árabe e is-

lámico y occidente. Retos de construcción del conocimiento sobre el otro,

1332-1349

Castillo, A., Fernández, M.J., & Castillero, E. (2015). Fútbol y redes sociales.

Análisis de la gestión de Relaciones Públicas 2.0 por los clubes de fút-

bol. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 22 (1) , 239 -254.http://dx.doi.

org/10.5209/rev_ESMP.2016.v22.n1.52592

Congosto, M. (2015). Elecciones Europeas 2014: Viralidad de los mensajes

en Twitter. REDES- Revista hispana para el análisis de redes sociales, 26 (1),

23-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.5565/rev/redes.529

Curry, D. (2022). TikTok App Report 2022. Business of Apps. https://www.busines-

sofapps.com/data/tiktok-report/

Datareportal (2023): TikTok users, stats, data and trends. Data Reportal. https://

datareportal.com/essential-tiktok-stats

Fernández Peña, E.,Ramajo, N., & Arauz, M. (2014). Social Media in the Olym-

pic Games: Actors, Management and Participation. Sport and New Me-

dia. Billings, A. C. & Hardin, M. (Eds.). Routledge Handbook of Sport and

New Media. Routledge, 153-164.

Fernández-Souto, A. B., Vázquez-Gestal, M., & Puentes-Rivera, I. (2019).

Gestión comunicativa de los clubes de fútbol: Análisis de los depar-

tamentos de comunicación de LaLiga. Revista Latina De Comunicación

Social, (74), 1071–1093. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2019-1372

9090

Evolution of the use of TikTok in Spanish football. Comparative study 2021-

2023

García Rivero, A.; Citlali Martínez, E., & Bonales Daimiel, G. (2022). TikTok y

Twitch: nuevos medios y fórmulas para impactar en la Generación Z.

ICONO 14, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v20i1.1770

Geurin, A.N. (2017). Elite female athletes’ perceptions of new media use relat-

ing to their careers: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Sport Management,

31(4), 345–359. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2016-0157

Ginesta, X. (2010). Los medios propios de los clubes de fútbol españoles. De

la revista ocial a los canales de TDT. Estudios sobre el mensaje periodísti-

co, 16, 145-166

Ginesta, X. (2020). Les multinacionals de l’entreteniment. Fútbol, diplomacia, iden-

titat i tecnologia. Editorial UOC.

Ginesta, X., & de San Eugenio, J. (2014). The Use of Football as a Coun-

try Branding Strategy. Case Study: Qatar and the Catalan

Sports Press. Communication & Sport, 2(3), 225– 241.https://doi.

org/10.1177/2167479513486886

Ginesta, X. (2012). What is the next step? The Champions League clubs and

their sponsors. From Bwinto Qatar Sports Investment. Soccer & Society,

14 (1), 66-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2012.692680

González Ramallal, M.E. (2014). Prensa deportiva e identidad nacional: España

en el Mundial de fútbol de Sudáfrica 2010. Política y Sociedad, 51(2),

337-366. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/rev_POSO.2014.v51.n2.43077

Guinaudeau, B., Munger, K., & Votta, F. (2022): Fifteen Seconds of Fame: Tik-

Tok and the Supply Side of Social Video. Computational Communication

Research, 4 (2), 463-485. https://doi.org/10.5117/CCR2022.2.004.GUIN

IAB Spain (2023). Estudio de redes sociales 2023. IAB Spain. https://iabspain.es/

estudio/estudio-de-redes-sociales-2023/

Kuzma, J., Bell, V., & Logue, C. (2014). A study of the use of social media mar-

keting in the football industry. Journal of emerging trends in computing

and information sciences, 5(10), 728-738.10.4018/IJTHI.297618

Lobillo, G. & Muñoz, A.D. (2016). El papel de las redes sociales en las estrate-

gias de expansión de mercado en los clubes de fútbol españoles. El

uso personalizado de Twitter en lengua árabe del Real Madrid CF y FC

Barcelona. Trípodos, 38, 195-214.

Meneses, G.A., & Avalos González, J.M. (2013). La investigación del fútbol y

sus nexos con los estudios de comunicación: Aproximaciones y ejem-

plos. Comunicación y sociedad, 20, 33-64.10.32870/cys.v0i20.216

Olabe, F. (2009). La comunicación no convencional en los clubes de fútbol.

Pensar la publicidad, 3(1), 121-138.

9191

Francisco Javier Zamora Saborit, Guillermo Sanahuja Peris,

Sandra Arias Montesinos

Olabe, F. (2011). Los medios de comunicación como público objetivo de los

clubes de fútbol. La Liga de Fútbol Profesional en España (LFP) como

caso de estudio. Razón y Palabra, 77 (2). https://www.redalyc.org/

pdf/1995/199520010052.pdf

Rojas, P. y Redondo, M. (2017). Cómo monetizar las redes sociales. LID Editorial.

Sanahuja-Peris, G. (2012). Análisis de los procesos en la comunicación cor-

porativa de los clubes deportivos profesionales españoles. Estudio

exploratorio. AdComunica, 171-189. http://dx.doi.org/10.6035/2174-

0992.2012.3.11

Segarra-Saavedra, J., & Hidalgo-Marí, T. (2020). Futbolistas en Instagram:

análisis del marketing de inuencia realizado por los capitanes de Pri-

mera División en España. Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación,

34-55. https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2020.i48.03

Sidorenko Bautista, P., Alonso-López, N., & Terol-Bolinches, R. (2022). El em-

pleo de la red social TikTok por los equipos de fútbol de Primera Di-

visión de la Liga Española. Global Media Journal México, 18 (35), 32–54.

https://doi.org/10.29105/gmjmx18.35-2

SensorTower (2023). Q4 2022 Store Intelligence Data Digest.

Sherman, A. (2020). TikTok reveals detailed user numbers for the rst time. CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/24/tiktok-reveals-us-global-user-

growth-numbers-for-rst-time.html

Sotelo, J. (2012). Deporte y social media: el caso de la Primera División de fút-

bol español. Historia y Comunicación social, 17, 217-230. http://dx.doi.

org/10.5209/rev_HICS.2012.v17.40607

Su, Y., Baker, B. J., Doyle, J. P., & Kunkel, T. (2020a). The rise of an athlete

brand: Factors inuencing the social media following of athletes.

Sport Marketing Quarterly, 29 (1),33–46. https://doi.org/10.32731/

SMQ.291.302020.03

Su, Y., Baker, B. J., Doyle, J. P., & Yan, M. (2020b). Fan Engagement in 15 Sec-

onds: Athletes’ Relationship Marketing During a Pandemic via Tik-

Tok. International Journal of Sport Communication,13, 1-11. https://doi.

org/10.1123/ijsc.2020-0238

Taylor, S., & Bogdan, R. (2008). La entrevista en profundidad. Métodos cuanti-

tativos aplicados, 2, 194-216.

TikTok (2021). Thanks a billion! TikTok. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/1-

billion-people-on-tiktok

Xifra, J. (2008). Soccer, civil religion, and public relations: Devotional–promo-

tional communication and Barcelona Football Club. Public Relations Re-

view, 34 (2), 192-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2008.03.005