Sport dives into Instagram Reels
Updated: Nov 4, 2020
Last week Instagram added a new feature to its platform, Reels. All the talk has been about how they have just copied TikTok, but as we have seen Instagram aren't worried about what people say and would rather copy than completely miss out. Musicians and record labels all over the world should be rejoicing from the rooftops, as it gives them a chance to get their songs in front of Instagram's one billion monthly users. Instagram is now pitching itself as a bit of a one-stop-shop for content, as its giving brands the chance to offer audiences a mix of content.
As you would expect there are some early movers in the world of sport;
Leagues: NBA, WNBA, NFL, LaLiga, Premier Lacrosse League, ATP, PGA have all got out quick, posting Reels and seeing significant views
Clubs: Juventus, Spurs, Man City and Champions Liverpool are using it to show either match highlights, tricks from players, BTS or linking to recent campaigns. Liverpool has posted 10 Reels to date, accumulating a whopping 33m views
In the brand space, so far there has been a slow uptake - Gymshark has posted two Reels generating 1.7m views, but the likes of Nike, adidas (adidasLondon has posted one reel), Lululemon, Under Armour, Alo has yet to make the jump
On the athlete front, tennis star Sania Mirza has amassed over 5m views from three Reels and skiing great Lindsey Vonn is averaging 750k views per Reel, which is 4-5 times the amount of views she is receiving in IGTV views. None of the top ten most followed athletes on Instagram has posted a Reel yet
In summary, it feels like those that have created their first Reels are seeing extremely strong views coming from their content. Whereas Stories and IGTV got off to a sluggish start, it feels that Reels has landed with a bang and the world of sport has adopted it well.
Some brands and athletes, and most likely the ones not accustomed to TikTok, may take a little longer to adopt the new feature, as they will be thinking about what their Reel's strategy is, where other brands/athletes will find it out by jumping in and learning as they go. IMO Reels will be here to stay, so don't take too long to get involved.
Want to find everything you need to know about Reels, have a read of this blog on later.com