Scroll Down
More is more is more
How many times have you heard the saying “quality over quantity?”
The notion that posting more damages engagement rate, and frankly, the idea that premium sports brands should somehow be ‘above’ a pure volume-driven strategy; that rightsholder output should be too good to be simply stacked and racked.
Let’s get serious though. This utopia does not exist anymore.
Author: David Brake
Scroll Down
Every minute 625 million videos are consumed on TikTok, 138 million reels are watched on Facebook and Instagram, and 1.7 million prompts are entered into Open AI’s ChatGPT.
Now let’s come back to you as the brand. You have the perfect post. The length is just right, the collabs are lined up and the thumbnail and copy hit all the right notes. The feed has been clear for an hour or so.
The problem is there are 100,000 other posts going out in that second. Are you sure you’re going to cut through all the noise?
The simplistic take would be to reduce this trend to more content = more results. However, that would be incorrect and miss the key point. More quality content = more quality results. That’s the equation the platforms want you to unlock.
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, regularly advocates for “consistency” in posting, while YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan, flags the need to “be clear in terms of the contract you have with your audience”.
In this new volume era you need to be good, and known as good, everywhere all the time. It’s obvious yet ridiculous, but it must be done.
Let’s look at the NFL.
During the 2024 NFL season, according to Blinkfire Analytics, the @NFL channels published 8,747 posts on Instagram, 8,083 posts on YouTube and 2,890 on TikTok. For Instagram alone, that averages 3 posts every hour for 122 days straight.
During Super Bowl in 2025, the NFL posted 152 times on Instagram, 146 times on TikTok, 236 posts on X, 123 times on Facebook, and 142 times on YouTube. For those playing at home, that’s a post going live from the NFL every 105 seconds.
The NFL is not alone, as seen with the ever-increasing posting cadence of the NBA, Formula 1, WWE, and Wimbledon to name but a few.
To win in today’s world, you must significantly step up your game.
Bring in the cavalry
The equalization of importance of quantity to quality requires resource to realize it. It’s not enough to have the existing levels of resource to reach the new standard required to thrive and lead.
AI will streamline processes, provide fast reporting, and should be integrated into your workflow. Tools are there to be used but it’s about using the right ones. Use it to help your team and your output.
Content and AI require people – to capture, quality check and post. It’s not enough to get by on what you already have. The industry is scaling, and now is the time to act as the trend begins to take off. It will only become more expensive and difficult to invest and expand to match the desires and expectations of existing fans, and future audiences.
“Just post more” is (still) not the answer. The standard must rise. You need more tools. You need more people.
A social post is not a press release
With the need and desire for more content from all parties, now is the time to re-evaluate old assumptions.
Every sport and team have “no-go” areas. But why is this the case?
Now is the right time to embrace all your sport, even the controversial parts. You can no longer afford to avoid the discussions that everyone else is involved in. The sky will not fall in. If anything, the opposite.
You can control the narrative and allow yourself to dominate the ecosystem to maximize engagement and draw in core and curious fans alike.
Let’s look at the NBA and their approach on YouTube.
The NBA posts an average of 750 videos per 30 days in-season, accumulating millions of views in return. It’s a fine deal for both parties.
The NBA, through YouTube’s algorithm, can dominate the online basketball ecosystem as it covers every possible angle, satisfying demand from both core and casual fans.
For the platform, it plays host to every angle, every reaction, every dimension, every highlight, all available near-immediately.
There’s a reason why the NBA YouTube channel has over 23 million followers.
The cream rises to the top. By tackling more, you can control the conversation online and have the platforms by your side.
Don’t lose your soul in the pursuit of numbers
The industry and your social feed do not require more ‘slop’.
Any high-level brand serious of securing long term relevance and staying power must still deliver value to fans.
A brand must have a core mission across its digital output that connects with fans new and old. It must create work of a standard that can allow it to stand out in a field of millions of rivals. Authenticity remains the cornerstone for success.
It’s more important than ever to evaluate your output. Is it clear to an outsider what you stand for, and who you are? Do you offer something original? Why would someone pick your content over an AI generated video?
It’s time to recognize that success requires a sustained level of resource built upon foundational value and creativity.
