In recent years, women’s professional soccer in Europe has witnessed remarkable growth, concurrently with the rise of social media platforms that have revolutionized how athletes cultivate and promote their personal brands. A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the University of Kansas delves into the complex dynamics shaping the Instagram popularity of female professional soccer players. This analysis not only reveals how team-related social media strategies influence individual athletes’ followings but also exposes underlying gender biases affecting women players’ online prominence.
The research identifies a counterintuitive phenomenon: when women’s soccer teams share their social media presence with their corresponding men’s teams in combined accounts, female players’ follower counts tend to decrease. Nataliya Bredikhina, assistant professor of sport management at KU and the lead author of the study, notes that the intuitive expectation—that joint branding would amplify visibility—is, in reality, undermined by societal patterns of gender discrimination. Rather than benefiting from a larger aggregated audience, women players often find their online visibility eclipsed within shared accounts dominated by men’s content.
Methodologically, the research team employed sophisticated data and statistical analyses to evaluate Instagram posts from professional women’s soccer teams and players across Europe. Two distinct data collection phases were pivotal: the first gathered comprehensive team and player social media activity data at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season, while the second concentrated on a three-month window during the 2021-2022 season. These longitudinal data sets enabled a deeper understanding of how team branding, media usage, and market factors correlate with the digital influence of women athletes.
A crucial discovery from the initial study centers on account verification, popularly known as the “check mark” on Instagram, signifying an official, authenticated presence. Verified team accounts were found to significantly enhance both the teams’ and their players’ follower engagement metrics. However, the presence of joint branding with men’s teams on shared accounts consistently produced a detrimental impact on women players’ individual followings, suggesting that the platform’s algorithmic prioritization and audience attention skew toward men’s content, marginalizing women’s achievements.
Further elucidating these dynamics, the study’s second phase examined the granular aspects of content dissemination within joint accounts. It was observed that shared accounts disproportionately prioritize posts related to men’s teams and players, relegating women athletes to the periphery of the digital spotlight. Although verified team accounts amplify online presence to some extent, the pathway to acquiring verification is systematically more challenging for women players, perpetuating a structural disparity that hinders their ability to capitalize on social media as a promotional tool.
At the heart of these findings is the recognition that social media verification functions as a form of digital capital, conferring status and credibility that catalyze further audience growth. Bredikhina articulates that this creates a “rich get richer” feedback loop where already prominent athletes and teams receive algorithmic reinforcement, ensuring sustained visibility and engagement. For women athletes striving to ascend the ranks of popularity and marketability, overcoming these gatekeeping barriers is arduous and requires deliberate intervention.
Interestingly, the researchers also explored traditional metrics often associated with athlete popularity, including team ranking and the size of the geographic market where teams are based. Contrary to expectations, these variables exhibited no significant correlation with athletes’ Instagram following sizes. This suggests that factors driving social media popularity transcend conventional performance or market size indicators, pointing toward a complex interplay of online behavior, platform-specific dynamics, and socio-cultural biases yet to be fully understood.
Bredikhina hypothesizes that the lack of impact from team ranking and market size could be due to the diminished relevance of in-person attendance for follower decisions, or because frequent player transfers disrupt regional fan loyalties. Such hypotheses underscore the evolving landscape of sports fandom, increasingly mediated through digital channels where geographic and competitive variables may hold less sway than previously thought. These facets exemplify fertile ground for future research endeavors in sports communication and digital media studies.
The implications of this research extend beyond academic curiosity, offering practical insights for sports organizations and athletes themselves. Given the persistent pay disparities in women’s professional sports, maximizing social media reach is vital for female athletes to enhance their marketability and financial prospects. The study advocates for dedicated women’s team accounts, arguing that tailored investment in women’s social media representation can elevate both team brands and individual athlete profiles, creating a virtuous cycle of visibility and opportunity.
Strategically, allocating resources to bolster women’s social media presence—through frequent, focused posts and concerted marketing efforts—can counteract the overshadowing effect prevalent in joint branding scenarios. Such efforts not only have the potential to increase followers and fan engagement but to drive monetization avenues critical for the sustainability of women’s professional soccer. Equally, these strategies contribute to cultural shifts in how media and audiences perceive and value women athletes.
This research also challenges prevailing assumptions in the domain of sport management, where male athletes’ branding strategies have traditionally dominated theoretical and practical frameworks. By foregrounding the distinctive challenges faced by women soccer players, the study calls for more nuanced approaches tailored specifically to women’s sports. Recognizing social media as a proxy for athlete identity and brand value reveals the embedded gendered dynamics that influence athletes’ commercial success and social influence.
Further contributing to this scholarly conversation, the study, co-authored with Thilo Kunkel from Temple University, Heather Kennedy of the University of Guelph, and Francesca Fumagalli of Cantú Next in Italy, is published in the peer-reviewed journal Sport Management Review. The rigorous methodological approach and international scope enhance the study’s relevance for global sports organizations seeking to optimize branding strategies in an increasingly digital world.
Ultimately, this research not only sheds light on the technical and social factors shaping women soccer players’ Instagram popularity but also underscores the broader societal implications of media representation and gender equity in sports. As digital media continues to transform the landscape of athletic branding, understanding and addressing these disparities are essential for fostering inclusive environments where women athletes can thrive both on and off the field.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Exploring the determinants of women football players’ Instagram popularity
News Publication Date: 3-Mar-2025
Web References: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14413523.2025.2468037
References: Bredikhina, N., Kunkel, T., Kennedy, H., & Fumagalli, F. (2025). Exploring the determinants of women football players’ Instagram popularity. Sport Management Review. DOI: 10.1080/14413523.2025.2468037
Keywords: Social Media, Mass Media, Communications, Public Relations, News Media, Written Communication, Economics, Business, Gender Studies
