--- title: The Rise of the Social Athlete – TikTok, Branded Content, and Player-Led Value description: Discover how TikTok and athlete-driven content are revolutionizing sports sponsorship value in 2024. Explore insights from Relo Metrics' latest U.S. Sports Scoreboard report. image: https://blog.relometrics.com/hubfs/Messi%20Effect.webp --- Share: [mailto:?subject=The%20Rise%20of%20the%20Social%20Athlete%20%E2%80%93%20TikTok%2C%20Branded%20Content%2C%20and%20Player-Led%20Value&body=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.relometrics.com%2Fthe-rise-of-the-social-athlete-tiktok-branded-content-and-player-led-value](mailto:?subject=The%20Rise%20of%20the%20Social%20Athlete%20%E2%80%93%20TikTok%2C%20Branded%20Content%2C%20and%20Player-Led%20Value&body=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.relometrics.com%2Fthe-rise-of-the-social-athlete-tiktok-branded-content-and-player-led-value) > --- > > ### [Click here to unlock the full copy of the 2024 US Sports Scoreboard Insight Report](https://insights.relometrics.com/2024-annual-report-us-sports-scoreboard) > > --- ### Branded Video Content Outperforms Across the Board  Across every league, video was the format of choice for delivering sponsor value. In the WNBA, branded videos delivered 34% more value per post than static images. In the MLS, short-form video generated 2.7x the engagement of static images. These videos not only command attention but also give brands a dynamic way to integrate their message into the moment. Whether it’s an athlete talking directly to fans or an in-game highlight clip, video consistently outperforms other formats.   ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdigO5PpyC6WSHub28ORZ0aR1pjFOv7Sk9tYLkDswEPgUSuR5M0bTjtlaitQeDKNAauj0TexDhM6AF1oB5jSz5pJoG8FSzsfLrAsBmAW33zsbSPRnnLnhP-ez9vefxRgmuMD9x2?key=P7Pb6hoqlUQv9pqVeZ_fAw) ### Athletes Are the New Media Networks  Some of last year’s biggest sponsorship spikes were driven not by teams or leagues, but by individual players. Caitlin Clark’s triple-double moment led to $1.6M in one-day SMV for the WNBA. Shohei Ohtani’s milestone day generated $ 4.3 million. Lionel Messi’s Instagram carousels alone generated millions in value. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeGrxlEbLjTwbMVe2SIzQXb-zjRtcB5nj8orHUwQNOEudVPDPBLPAuQ1l32TXwaoG0k7G2MPsCvm2ABU93uTmkjAE26FysXbGAdWYGU3VA8tc5nfNPdcD6Kt21dLJVDhT-xUs8?key=P7Pb6hoqlUQv9pqVeZ_fAw) These spikes underline a new reality: athletes aren't just part of the platform—they are the platform. Their content is authentic, timely, and often more engaging than official league channels. ### Additional Insights:  - February 8 and April 14 were top SMV days in the NBA, tied to player milestones. - Highlight-driven content (like Bedard’s goal) drove NHL’s biggest social value day. - Player-owned channels rivaled team and league accounts in performance. ### [ Download the 2024 US Sports Scoreboard Insight Report](https://insights.relometrics.com/2024-annual-report-us-sports-scoreboard) .   ## See Your Sponsorship Data in Action [Schedule a Demo](https://9393297-hs-sites-com.sandbox.hs-sites.com/contact-us) ### Subscribe to **Our Blog** Keep Up with the pros ## View our latest posts ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com#website", "@type" : "Website", "name" : "Relo Metrics", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/hs-search-results?term={search_term_string}" } }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com#organization" }, "url" : "https://blog.relometrics.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/the-rise-of-the-social-athlete-tiktok-branded-content-and-player-led-value#webpage", "@type" : "WebPage", "about" : { "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com#organization" }, "dateModified" : "2024-10-01T12:0000+0000", "datePublished" : "2025-11-14T15:1500+0000", "description" : "Discover how TikTok and athlete-driven content are revolutionizing sports sponsorship value in 2024. Explore insights from Relo Metrics' latest U.S. Sports Scoreboard report.", "image" : { "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/the-rise-of-the-social-athlete-tiktok-branded-content-and-player-led-value#primaryimage", "@type" : "ImageObject", "caption" : "", "url" : "https://9393297.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9393297/Messi%20Effect.webp" }, "inLanguage" : "en", "isPartOf" : { "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com#website" }, "name" : "The Rise of the Social Athlete – TikTok, Branded Content, and Player-Led Value", "url" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/the-rise-of-the-social-athlete-tiktok-branded-content-and-player-led-value" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ryan Meizinger", "url" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/author/ryan-meizinger" }, "dateModified" : "2026-02-05T16:47:43.493Z", "datePublished" : "2025-11-14T15:15:00.000Z", "headline" : "The Rise of the Social Athlete – TikTok, Branded Content, and Player-Led Value", "image" : [ "https://blog.relometrics.com/hubfs/Messi%20Effect.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/the-rise-of-the-social-athlete-tiktok-branded-content-and-player-led-value", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.relometrics.com/hubfs/Relo%20Metrics_Logo_POS_RGB-1.png" }, "name" : "Relo Metrics" } } ```