Twitter homecourt of Filipino sports fans in 2021
TWITTER was #WhatsHappening and with sports making a comeback in 2021, conversations on Twitter only skyrocketed with Filipinos taking to Twitter to cheer and support their favorite athletes and engage with the sports community.
A whopping 3.7 billion Tweets about sports worldwide was recorded, surpassing 2020’s total of almost 2.7 billion as people talked about sports.
Closer to home, the Southeast Asia region garnered slightly over 95 million sports-related Tweets in 2021, a 40 percent increase from the year before.
It was hardly surprising as highly anticipated sporting events like #EURO2020, #Tokyo2020 and #Paralympics2020 returned with much fanfare.
Whether fans watched from the bleachers or from their television screens at home, Twitter was abuzz with them celebrating goals and wins, as well as cheering on the #GOATS of the team they support.
In the Philippines, the conversation around sports skyrocketed in 2021 with more than 19.6 million Tweets, a 22.50 percent growth over 2020.
Filipinos were mainly excited about #basketball, keeping tabs on the schedules and chatting nonstop since the games opened which garnered over 6.2 million Tweets for 2021.
Entering midyear, all eyes were on the Tokyo Olympics as the winners unfolded one by one. Filipinos also ensured to bring their loudest cheers on Twitter with 2.4 million Tweets from July to August 2021, showcasing that Twitter was the stadium where Filipinos came together to share their love for sports.
“Twitter and sports will always have a special and tight relationship,” said Maurizio Barbieri, Head of Sports and Gaming Partnerships for SEA and Greater China at Twitter. “As events faced postponements and cancellations last year, sport fans on Twitter kept the passion and fervour alive by cheering, encouraging, and celebrating the wins together wherever they were.”
Tops on the Filipinos’ lists were the Tokyo Olympics success led by Hidilyn Diaz’s weightlifting gold medal, all-time favorite basketball and esports.