Social media is how many athletes prefer to communicate with their fans. Teams are making it more of a priority as well. 

In 2024, for the first time ever, the total number of followers of pro sports teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and WNBA surpassed one billion. 

June 30 is World Social Media Day, Bookies.com looked at the official social media channels for every NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and WNBA team – on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok – tallying up the total numbers to determine the most-followed of all sports organizations. 

The NBA dominated. The seven most-followed franchises all reside in the NBA. The top two weren’t even close. 

The Los Angeles Lakers have a combined 61.2 million followers on social media, followed closely by the Golden State Warriors at 59.1 million. The Chicago Bulls are No. 3 among all teams, at 34.0 million. These teams are also popular for nba sports betting.

The Dallas Cowboys pace all NFL teams and rank eighth overall, while the New York Yankees rule MLB and are 10th among all teams. 

NBA

It would be tough to argue that the NBA isn’t the most culturally relevant sports organization in the U.S., and perhaps on the planet. The social media numbers appear to strengthen that claim. 

Seven franchises boast more than 20 million total followers, and they’re all NBA teams. 

The NBA champion Boston Celtics ranked seventh among NBA teams overall, but they gained the most followers from 2023 to 2024, adding a solid 5.2% in total. 

Only one team lost followers in the last year: The Houston Rockets, who are a solid sixth overall, dropped 0.2%. The Minnesota Timberwolves jumped a massive 20% in followers but still rank 25th. Five teams jumped a healthy 11% or more in total followers. 

NFL

The Cowboys (19.8M) have a solid lead on the New England Patriots (17.5M) and Pittsburgh Steelers (15.4) for bragging rights in America’s most popular league. 

The Cowboys dominate Facebook, but the Patriots actually lead the NFL in followers on both X and Instagram. TikTok is owned by the Chiefs, whose 4.6M followers is 1.5M more than any other team. 

Thanks to its TikTok success, Kansas City increased its total followers by a whopping 33%. Eight of the 32 teams gained over 11% in total followers. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have work to catch up to their field; their 2.7M total followers is 1.3M fewer than any other team. 

MLB

Signing Shohei Ohtani helped boost the Dodgers’ World Series chances. But it also boosted the team’s social following to new heights, jumping a massive 20.3% in total followers to leap past the Boston Red Sox for No. 2 in the sport, and No. 1 on TikTok. 

The Yankees lead in every other social avenue and overall have five million more followers than any other franchise. But their overall growth of 2.7% ranked 26th.

Seven MLB teams had double-digit growth this year, including the Miami Marlins, who leapfrogged the Oakland Athletics, pushing the A’s down to the bottom spot in MLB. 

NHL

Historical powerhouses dominate the new-school social media landscape. The Original Six of the old NHL – the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings – all rank in the Top 7. The Boston Bruins, who have been around since 1967, crash the party at No. 2. 

The Blackhawks (7.5M) and Penguins (7.1M) have over one million followers above every other team. Chicago leads the way in every angle except Instagram, where the Pens’ 2.9M is over 1M above any other side. 

Ironically, the team with the fewest followers just won the Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers rank dead last, thanks especially to lackluster efforts on Facebook and X, though their 15.6% overall increase was more than double the gain rate of most other teams. 

WNBA

The top WNBA teams still don’t have the reach of the bottom teams of the other major sports. But their numbers are rising quicker than the others. 

By percentage, WNBA teams made up the eight quickest-growing teams on social media. Of course, the Indiana Fever, who drafted dynamo Caitlyn Clark, led the way. Their total followers increased from 313,812 in 2023 to 1.027 million in 2024, a jump of 227%. 

The Los Angeles Sparks held onto the No. 1 spot in the league, but their 12.1% increase ranked dead-last in the league. The Las Vegas Aces (151% increase) and the Fever, as well as the Chicago Sky, are on pace to bypass the Sparks by next year.