SPORTS RANKING INDEX

The Shunt Sport Social Index is a ranking of Australian sport, recreation and industry body’s social media footprints. This analysis includes national governing organisations and their state equivalents, Australian representative teams, national events, championships and franchised teams (all data collated January-March 2017).

#1 CRICKET

Cricket Australia has an extensive digital presence built around its Cricket.com.au digital hub. Shunt tracks associated social accounts that contribute 40% to the sports total footprint. State sporting associations make a significant contribution as does a standalone Victorian Bushrangers following in excess of 250,000.

National representation men’s and women’s (Southern Stars) cricket teams add another 3.5 million to the count. Domestically, the very successful Big Bash League and its teams now have a footprint in excess of 7.5 million, bringing Cricket’s tally to an impressive 20+ million.

A nationwide snapshot from the previous quarter reveals 11% Instagram growth for Cricket Australia equivalent to 50,000 new followers. The New South Wales Facebook account grew by 9,000 and there was an increase of 7.5% in the Victorian Twitter account. Queensland cricket consolidated its position at the top of the states Instagram ranking with an 11.5% increase while in Western Australia, the WACA holds down second spot with a gain of 2,800. The SACA (South Australia) Facebook account grew by more than 500 and in Tasmania, cricket dominates Twitter with an 8.8% boost and 2,500 new followers. Cricket ACT also benefitted from a Facebook lift of 18%.

#2 RUGBY LEAGUE

Rugby League has a social media presence in most states and territories. When these organisations are added to the National Rugby League (NRL) total the social media footprint touches 2.4 million. The two state representative teams (Blues and Maroons) in the popular State of Origin series have accumulated a sizeable social media following in their own right contributing a further 1.75 million to this tally. The Australian Kangaroos add another 200,000 while the NRL teams account for 60% of the sports total footprint of 10 million.

A snapshot from around the nation from the previous quarter reveals modest gains, reflecting the sports summer break. The NRL picked-up more than 10,000 new likes on Facebook and in New South Wales there was an increase of 1,000 on Instagram. Victoria had a 2% increase in Facebook likes while in Queensland the gain was 3%. NRL WA had solid gains on Instagram while the South Australian representative organisation added 100 likes to its 4,000 Facebook total. There was a small increase in Facebook likes in the ACT while more than 3% was added to the Northern Territory tally.

#3 AFL

The AFL has amassed a social following of more than 2 million across the ‘big three’ channels with the state and territories adding another 200,000. The sports franchised teams contribute a further 6.6 million to its nine million total footprint.

Scanning the country the AFL recorded modest gains from the previous quarter, reflecting its summer hiatus. The best performing platform at a national level was Twitter, recording an additional 13,000 followers and 2% increase. Shunt has recently examined the Australian sports industry’s presence on LinkedIN with 250 accounts now being tracked – the largest of which belongs to the AFL with 22,500 connections. The joint NSW/ACT Facebook follower count increased by 100 taking the total to 6,200. In the sports Victorian heartland, it’s Twitter presence increased by 1% or 200 followers. The WAFL (Western Australia) holds down eighth spot on Facebook with an increase of 1% taking the senior domestic competition past 9,000. Its South Australian equivalent, the SANFL saw a solid boost in its Instagram footprint of more than 7% while in Tasmania there was close to a 10% rise.

The AFL has a Twitter presence in the ACT with a follower count in excess of 2,000 while the Northern Territory has a strong following and growth that is amplified by the NT Thunder state team.

#4 TENNIS

The majority of the sports social media following is derived from the national sporting organisation with member states and territories making a relatively small contribution to the overall footprint. One of the country’s most successful sporting events is the Australian Open that now has an impressive 3.75 million social media follows.

Tennis has recently benefitted from the feel-good effect of the Australian Open with the national body’s Instagram account the biggest benefactor with an 11% (3,000) increase in followers. In New South Wales there was a 2.6% gain on Facebook, while in Victoria the boost was close to 9% thanks in part to the high-profile event being in its backyard. Queensland had 8.5% growth on Instagram while the Tennis West Facebook edges closer to a 1,000 likes. South Australia had solid Facebook gains of 4.5% with the ACT recording a 2% lift.

#5 FOOTBALL (FFA)

The FFA’s social media presence is focused on Twitter where it has an impressive following of 134,000. Of the states and territories, Victoria and New South Wales take the lead by doubling the FFA count. The domestic A-League championship adds another 600,000 with the teams contributing almost two million to the tally. The Socceroo’s and Matilda’s national representative teams have nurtured a following of 1.2 million taking the total football footprint in Australia to four million.

Across the nation football recorded small gains over the previous quarter, reflecting the summer break. New South Wales had solid growth, this was also reflected in the FFV (Football Federation Victoria) 6% gain on Facebook, equating to an additional 1,000 likes. Football Queensland posted some impressive figures across its social channels with Facebook a stand-out. In Western Australia, Football West holds down third spot on Twitter, while South Australia has the same ranking on Facebook thanks to a 3.3% follower boost.

#6 RUGBY UNION (ARU)

Rugby.com.au doubles as the official Wallabies site with the national sporting organisation having a social following of 275,000 while the states and territories add another 25,000. The most significant footprint for the sport rest with the five Australia based Super Rugby teams who contribute 1.1 million to its social media count.

With Super Rugby getting underway in late February there has been little change in recent months other than Instagram. The channel is very much on the move for the national body picking up 3,700 followers at a 10% growth rate to take it past the 40,000 mark. There were also significant gains in New South Wales where the organisations Facebook and Instagram accounts had a 3% lift in the run-up to Christmas. Rugby WA posted modest gains on its Facebook page, as did its South Australian equivalent.

#7 BASKETBALL

Basketball Australia has a social media footprint in excess of 140,000 with the states and territories contributing another 80,000. The NBL championship adds another 200,000 to this tally with the Australian based teams chipping-in an additional 500,000.

Basketball is one of a fairly select group of sports (18%) that have a social footprint in every state and territory. The best performing social channel nationally in the last quarter was Instagram with growth in excess of 5% and 1,700 followers added to the count. New South Wales maximises its social presence by using all four channels with a 4% pick-up on Twitter. Victoria is the strongest performing state with 15% growth on Facebook and Instagram not far behind. Queensland is ranked 8^th across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with Western Australia focusing its social presence on the SBL and WABL leagues with the latter enjoying significant gains on Facebook. Instagram in South Australia and Tasmania is also on the move.

#8 NETBALL

Netball Australia has a social following of 100,000 with representative state and territory organisations doubling that figure. The new for 2017 Super Netball championship is re-booting its social media presence following a move away from the trans-Tasman format which is reflected in its current footprint of 25,000. The now, well-established Australian based teams (plus a few new arrivals) add 400,000 to the mix with the Diamonds national team adding 200,000 to an 800,000 total.

A scan across the nation suggests netball is on the move with audiences flocking to the sports social media channels. At a national level there was 11% growth on Facebook in the last quarter, in NSW there was a 7% increase in Twitter followers through December while in Victoria the figure was an impressive 30%. Instagram for Netball Queensland is reasonably new and is growing at 10% per quarter while in Western Australia Twitter led the way. The Netball SA Facebook page likes increased by 500 with Northern Territory growth at 3%.

#9 SPORT (HIGH-PERFORMANCE)

All states have a standalone high performance sports unit with Victoria and New South Wales having the largest social media following. The Australian Institute of Sport, responsible for the delivery of the nations international sporting success accounts for more than half of the 240,000 followers across the country. Included in the Shunt sports high-performance category is the AOC (Australian Olympic Committee) with a social following of 460,000 taking the total past 700,000.

In the last quarter, the Victorian Institute of sport added more than 1,000 followers at an average growth rate of 6.75% across the three main social channels while the Queensland Academy grew at close to 4%. For WAIS (Western Australia) Instagram interestingly is the strongest performer with 1,000 more followers than Facebook and Twitter. The South Australian Sports Institute only uses Facebook with growth at 2% while their Tasmanian counterpart increased at a little over 3%.

10# SURFING

Surfing in recent years has pursued an aggressive digital content strategy that is reflected in its top 10 result. Leading the way is national body Surfing Australia with a social footprint exceeding 200,000. Its social media focus is on Facebook and Instagram with both platforms growing at over 5% for the last quarter.

At a state and territory level the standout performer is Western Australia with a follower count in excess of 75,000. While WA has a Twitter account the sport lends itself to more visual mediums with Instagram in particular being very popular. In the last quarter it grew by more than 6% or 2,500 new followers. In New South Wales and Queensland the sports Instagram following outstrips other channels by a considerable margin while in Victoria it’s a tie with Facebook – the average growth rate of the two being 8%. Surfing South Australia’s Instagram is on a charge with a doubling of its following in recent months which helped take the sports total social footprint close to 400,000.

11# HOCKEY

Hockey has a social media presence in every state and territory with 27 accounts engaging an audience of over 150,000. Other assets in Hockey’s social footprint are its two national representative teams (Hockeyroos and Kookaburras) who have a combined following of 190,000. Hockey is also one of a few sports with multiple accounts on LinkedIN. No less than four states and a Territory (ACT) have now established ‘links’.

In the last quarter Hockey Australia’s Facebook account added 900 followers, with 400 on Twitter and 800 on Instagram. In Victoria, the Hockey Instagram account grew by more than 5% while in Queensland, Hockey’s 14^th ranked Facebook account added 200. Hockey Tasmania have the states third largest Twitter and Instagram following and it is on top in the ACT for Instagram with 1,500 followers increasing at an annualised rate of 25%.

#12 SWIMMING

Swimming Australia’s social media channels operate under the ‘handle’ of the national team (The Dolphins) with a footprint in excess of 200,000 – the majority of which is on Facebook. The states (and the Northern Territory) add a further 40,000 to the count.

In the last quarter Swimming Australia’s strongest performing social channel was Twitter with the sport collecting 3,100 new followers to take it past the 30,000 mark at a growth rate of over 11%. In New South Wales, swimming has a Facebook page ranked in the top 10 while in Victoria the same channel had growth of over 8% with a similar result achieved by Queensland on Instagram. Tasmania delivered an above average result on Facebook, posting a 22% increase in its followers to take it past the 1,000 mark.

#13 SURF LIFE SAVING

Surf Life Saving has a social media footprint across Australia in excess of 220,000 with the national body accounting for about a third of this total. Not far behind at 58,000 is Western Australia with the majority of its followers on Twitter. The New South Wales footprint is the third largest at 32,000.

In the last quarter the national body for Surf Life Saving has grown steadily across the ‘big three’ channels Shunt monitors. The average percentage increase is over 6% with its combined footprint growing by 4,400. Victoria has had a 13% increase in its Facebook following equivalent to over a 1,000 new likes with Twitter not far behind. Queensland is another state recording strong Facebook numbers with an increase of 18%, with Tasmania posting a double-digit improvement on Instagram.

#14 BASEBALL

Baseball has a social media presence in all states with more than a half of its 40,000 followers derived from the national body. The Australian Baseball League (ABL) doubles that figure and competing teams contribute another 120,000.

The last quarter for Baseball at a national level was encouraging with strong growth across the big three social channels. The average improvement was in excess of 11% with over 2,000 new followers added to the sports total. Baseball Victoria also had a good result with Instagram posting an increase of 12%.

#15 ATHLETICS

Athletics Australia has a social media footprint of 80,000 with Victoria and New South Wales adding another 55,000 to this count with the total across all states and territories coming in at 180,000. Not included in the index but of interest is the recent Nitro series with its unique team-based format that quickly amassed a social media following in excess of 25,000.

In the most recent quarter Athletics at a national level recorded solid gains in their social media footprint. Facebook increased 6% (1,700) and Instagram by 7.5% (1,800). Athletics WA has benefitted from above average growth in its Instagram account, increasing by 9% with Tasmania boosted by 7% and the ACT 13%.

#16 CYCLING

Each cycling discipline has been assessed individually with Cycling Australia the highest ranked. As the sports national body its social media footprint makes up more than half of the 150,000 total with Victoria being the best performing state contributing close to 30% of this tally. In the most recent quarter Cycling Australia and its state representatives have achieved significant gains across the ‘big three’ social channels averaging over 5% (6,500 likes/followers).

#17 GOLF

Golf Australia contributes more than half of the sports 150,000 plus social media footprint nationally. Of the states and territories Golf has its strongest social media following in Victoria. It is also one of several representative bodies with a presence across all four social channels monitored by Shunt (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIN).

In the last quarter, Golf Australia added 5,000 to its combined social media count with an increase of 7% on Facebook, 4% on Twitter and an impressive 60% on Instagram. Victoria has twice the social footprint of both New South Wales and Queensland (20,000) driven by a doubling of Facebook likes and 20% boost on Instagram. Tasmania was another standout performer at a state level growing by 21% on Facebook.

#18 TOUCH FOOTBALL

Touch Football’s heartland is in New South Wales and Queensland with a footprint of 21,000 and 15,500 respectively. The national bodies social media count comes in at 55,000 with the sports social media following across the country now in excess of 100,000. Results from the last quarter suggest ‘Touch’ is also performing well in the ACT with average growth across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram of over 6%.

#19 GYMNASTICS

Gymnastics is one of the few sports (18%) with a social media foothold in each state and territory. The national body has more than 60% of the 100,000 total with New South Wales the highest ranked state. Looking at the last quarter results, Gymnastics Australia’s footprint grew by 4% and 2,300 likes. Meanwhile, Western Australia are charging ahead on Instagram with a 13% bump in followers.

#20 AUSTRALIAN PARALYMPICS COMMITTEE

The national body represents the elite end of disability sport in Australia and enjoyed a significant boost in its social media footprint to 98,000 around the 2016 Rio Olympics. Compared to a count by Shunt just prior to the September Paralympics this spike equated to a 46% increase and 30,000 new followers.

1. Disabled sporting organisations in each state have been ranked separately – see #42 Sport (Disabled).

#21 EQUESTRIAN

Equestrian has a social media footprint in all states and territories (except the ACT) with the national body making-up more than 60% of its 95,000 total. Reviewing the last quarter, Queensland has the largest footprint of the states followed by an evenly matched New South Wales and South Australia. At a national level Instagram has performed well, increasing by 20% or 1,100.

#22 BICYCLE NETWORK

The aim of the Bicycle Network is to make bike riding easy for everyone and this is achieved through advocacy, programs and education. The member organisation has a network of affiliates in most states and territories with a total social media footprint in excess of 90,000. Headquartered in Victoria the Bicycle Network had 10%+ growth on Facebook (2,000 new likes) and Instagram (250) in the last quarter. In South Australia, Bicycle SA grew by 7% on Facebook.

#23 SHOOTING

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia promotes shooting sports and protects firearm owners’ interests. The organisation has offices in all states and territories with a social media presence in most. Of the states, the Western Australian footprint is by far the largest at 22,000 compared to the national body’s 33,000. With a focus on Facebook, Sporting Shooters in the last quarter grew by more than 30% (8,000 new likes) at a national level. There were impressive gains in Victoria also with a 15% bump in likes.

#24 ROWING

Rowing Australia comprises 58% of the sports total social media footprint with New South Wales the most ‘social’ state (11,500). There is a social media presence in all states and territories (excluding the Northern Territory) with a total footprint of more than 65,000. At a national level in the last quarter there was significant growth on Instagram equivalent to 6% (800 followers). Rowing Victoria are having a good summer, recording 8% growth on Facebook while Western Australia grew by 13% on Instagram.

#25 MOTORCYCLING

With the exception of the ACT, Motorcycling Australia has a social media footprint in all states and territories. The national body has a following of 28,000 with Victoria being the most ‘social’ state (14,000). Reviewing the last quarter, Motorcycling Australia rated highly on Instagram with a 30% increase in followers (200). Western Australia also did well with an 18% jump.

#26 TRIATHLON

Triathlon is one a few sports with a social media footprint in all states and territories. The national body has a following of 27,000 with Queensland the highest performing state at 10,000. The total footprint is now just over 60,000.

In the last quarter Triathlon Australia performed well with an 8% lift on Facebook (1,100) and 15% on Instagram (1,500). Instagram gains carried over to Victoria where their account picked-up 150 new followers (11%), Queensland (300 followers and 10%) and Western Australia with growth of 43% and 300 new followers in what appears to be an emerging nationwide trend.

#27 MTB

More than 80% of mountain biking’s social media footprint of 59,000 is derived from the MTB Australia national body. Coverage in other states and territories is patchy with MTB organisations operating under various titles. The largest footprint by state is in Queensland (6,000) followed by WA where the WAMBA governing body has 3,700 likes.

#28 LITTLE ATHLETICS

‘Athletics for kids’ has a social media presence in most states and territories totaling 50,000. NSO (national organisation) numbers are matched by NSW and Victoria all of whom have a following circa 10,000.

In the last quarter Little Athletics Victoria performed particularly well on Facebook with a 28% increase in likes (1,600) and 30% boost on Instagram (500). South Australia also benefitted from a promising gain on Facebook of 8.5% as did the ACT (11%).

#29 BMX

The social media footprint of BMX is dominated by the national body as one of a select group of sports with representation in all states and territories. BMX Australia has 68% of the sports 47,000 total with Victoria’s 4,600 count edging out Queensland (4,200) for the title of the most ‘social’ state. The uptick in Victoria’s footprint in the last quarter is due to a significant rise in Facebook support with 350 new likes at a 9% growth rate. Instagram also performed well with a 15% lift.

#30 VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball Australia accounts for close to 60% of the sports total Australian footprint of 46,000. Looking at the states, South Australia has the largest following with Western Australia evenly matched with Queensland (3,700 each) and Victoria just a 100 followers in arrears.

Reviewing the last quarter the national body has benefitted from a boost on Facebook of 8% picking-up 1,500 followers in the process. This uptick has carried across to Instagram where there has been a 27% spike in numbers equivalent to 300.

#31 BOWLS

Bowls has a social media presence in all states and territories resulting in the majority of the sports 41,000 footprint not being generated by the national body. This is an unusual outcome in the Australian Sport and Recreation industry, driven largely by News South Wales and Victoria who share 30% of the total count.

Looking at the last quarter results, the national body is performing well with growth of 14% on Facebook equating to 1,400 new followers. In other highlights, Victoria increased its Instagram following by 17%.

#32 WATER POLO

Water Polo Australia has a social media following equivalent to 70% of the sports national footprint of 40,000. Looking to the states (no social media representation in the ACT or NT) New South Wales is the most ‘social’ with Western Australia and Queensland split by just a 100 followers across the channels.

Taking a look at how the Water Polo social media footprint has grown over the last quarter we can see that the national body has acquired more than 500 new followers on Instagram at a growth rate of 8%. Queensland had an impressive 50% boost on Facebook with 550 new likes.

#33 BOXING

Boxing is one of a small percentage of sports with a social media presence in each state and territory. At 37% of the total, Boxing Australia‘s count reflects a decentralized trend in the distribution of the sports 37,000 followers. Of the states News South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia are evenly matched with footprints ranging from 12-14% of the total.

In reviewing the last quarter’s results Boxing Australia’s social channels (Facebook and Twitter) have been growing at a steady 6% alongside Victoria. South Australia’s Facebook page benefitted from an impressive 40% boost in likes while in the Northern Territory there has been a lift of over 8%.

#34 CANOEING

Canoeing Australia dominate the national social media landscape with 78% of paddle sports social media footprint (37,000). Queensland has the largest following of all states by some margin with over 4,000. New South Wales is the second most ‘social’ followed by Western Australia. Examining results from the last quarter, growth at a national level is flat (circa 1%) on Facebook and Twitter with the exception of Instagram where there has been a 5% boost (170).

#35 SKATEBOARDING

Skateboarding bodies operating across Australia use a range of titles. This suggests a more informal approach compared to many sports in this index with a structured management hierarchy. At a national level Shunt tracks the Australian Skateboarding Federation with a Facebook following of 1,100. Looking to the states, Skateboarding WA has the largest social following by some margin at 16,700 followed by Skateboarding Victoria (6,500) and Skateboarding Queensland (4,800).

#36 SOFTBALL

Softball Australia have 50% of the sports social media following of 31,000 with the remainder spread across all states and territories as one of a few sports with a ‘social’ presence in every geographic market. Of the states, Queensland holds top spot with more than 4,000 followers, New South Wales is second (3,200) and Victoria third (2,400). Over the previous quarter the national body had steady growth with a 4.5% average lift over the three social channels. In South Australia, Facebook likes jumped by 6.7%.

#37 RECREATIONAL FISHING

There are numerous titles for recreational fishing bodies across the country with Shunt tracking six entities. Interestingly, follower concentration has been decentralised to the states with RecFish West (WA) performing particularly well with more than 50% of the 30,000 total footprint. Next in line is Victoria (6,000) with South Australia third (5,000).

In the last quarter the relatively new VRFish (Victoria) Instagram account has seen 20% growth with good results also on Twitter. RecFish (WA) had a strong showing with a 6% increase on Facebook and 8% on Twitter. RecFish SA is another to have done well posting an 8.4% average across the three channels.

#38 BADMINTON

Badminton is interesting in that it doesn’t follow the typical trend of a national body capturing a large percentage (or the majority) of a sports social media footprint. In fact, Badminton Australia has a relatively small 21% share with Victoria the dominant player at 60% of the sports 29,000 total.

Taking a look at Badminton’s last quarter performance, the national body has a Facebook account that recorded growth of 4.5% (250). Victoria had an impressive spike in Facebook likes of 21% (2,800).

#39 SPECIAL OLYMPICS

With a presence across most of the country (except the Northern Territory) the social media footprint of the Special Olympics is concentrated around the national body (71%) and its 21,000 followers. The most ‘social’ state is Western Australia (1,900) closely followed by Victoria (1,600). Reviewing the last quarters results Special Olympics Australia had above average growth on Instagram at 7% while Facebook remained flat (<1%) and Twitter had a small gain (1.75%).

#40 ROYAL LIFE SAVING

Of the 28,000 Royal Life Saving countrywide social media footprint a third follow the national body (9,500). Close behind is South Australia (8,200) followed by New South Wales (6,600). Examining the previous quarter the national body, had an impressive result on Facebook with a 19% increase equivalent to 1,100 new likes. This upward trend extended to Twitter where there was a 9% gain. These improvements weren’t limited to the national body with Western Australia also doing well (11% increase in Facebook and 13% on Twitter).

#41 SPORT (GOVERNMENT)

How sport is prioritised by government, its scope and the resources committed to it differ across the country. Nationally, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is a corporate Commonwealth entity within the Australian Government’s Department of Health portfolio. The ASC is Australia’s primary national sports administration and advisory agency, and the cornerstone of a wide-ranging sports system.

NSW

The New South Wales office of sport and recreation offers grants to nurture sporting talent, help build sport facilities and develop the industry as a whole. In addition to training programs and resources that help sporting organisations improve the quality and safety of their services. Sport and Recreation Centres provide active experiences and outdoor education programs to families, schools, corporates and the community. The social media footprint of the New South Wales office of sport and recreation is over 9,000 across Facebook and Twitter.

QLD

Sport and Recreation Queensland is administered by the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing incorporating recreation, sport and the arts. It encourages Queenslanders to lead active, healthy lifestyles through a suite of initiatives including funding and community programs, workshops, active recreation centres and physical activity resources for parents and teachers. The social media footprint of Sport and Recreation Queensland is 2,400 (Facebook).

WA

The Department of Sport and Recreation provides leadership, advice and funding for the sport and recreation industry in Western Australia. This is achieved through the provision of facilities, community programs and support of sport and recreation organisations. The social media footprint of ‘DSR’ is 8,300 with an impressive 2,500 connections on LinkedIN. In the last quarter, Facebook likes increased by 7.3% and 4.2% on Twitter (5,300).

SA

The South Australian Office of Recreation and Sport is a division of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. It develops programs, resources and provides funding assistance through grants. The division is responsible for 26 sporting assets across the State, including major sporting venues such as the Adelaide Superdrome and SA Athletics Stadium. The South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) provides specialist high performance sport services and talent identification programs to athletes and sports. The office of Recreation and Sport has a Facebook following of 200 that has increased by 5% in the last quarter.

#42 DISABILITY SPORTS

Disabled sports organisations around the country have been treated separately from the Australian Paralympics Committee by Shunt. Differing titles and responsibilities reflect a more informal organisational structure than sports that work to a federated or unified management system. The two largest social media footprints can be found at Disability Sport and Recreation (Victoria) with 6,000 followers and Wheelchair Sports NSW (5,700) with a total count for all organisations of 23,000. The national body (Disabled Sports Australia) has had a 6.5% boost in Facebook likes with a big jump in Twitter and Instagram followers in the last quarter.

#43 MOTORSPORT (CAMS)

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) is the National Sporting Authority for motor sport in Australia delegated by the world governing body – the Federation Internationale de’l Automobile (FIA). CAMS operate management councils in six states and the social media functions for the organisation are centralised at a national level with a total footprint close to 23,000. Looking more closely at channel performance over the previous quarter we can see that Facebook has grown by 6.3% and 850 likes. Twitter gains are more modest (2.5%) and Instagram is performing well, up 7.5% (100).

#44 CALISTHENICS

The Australian Calisthenics Federation has captured a relatively small percentage of the sports social media footprint at just 15% of its 21,000 total. The states drive the sports social presence with Victoria having 63% of the total or 13,000 followers. South Australia has a footprint of 1,900 and Western Australia 1,300. Examining the previous quarter, Victoria posted solid results increasing by 2% on Facebook (175), 4.25% on Twitter and 6.1% on Instagram (250).

#45 SAILING (YACHTING)

‘Yachting’ is currently undergoing a transition to ‘Sailing’. Looking across the sports digital assets this is still a work in progress with both monikers being applied depending on the state and the channel. At a national level Australian Sailing oversees the bulk (57%) of the sports 19,500 social media footprint. Looking to the states, most footprints are fairly evenly balanced with Victoria slightly ahead of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Zeroing in on the sports social media performance over the last quarter at a national level we can see the Facebook presence is growing at over 5%. The Twitter account doubles-up as the social presence for the national team that is reflected in its relatively high follower count of 7,000. A new Instagram account is going through a growth spurt at present, jumping by more than 200 followers or 28%.

#46 PONY CLUB

Pony Club Australia contributes a relatively small 17% to the junior and youth equestrian sports social media footprint total of 19,000. Evenly matched New South Wales and Victoria make up close to 50% of the total with Queensland and Western Australia adding another 25%. Examining the last quarters social performance for the sport, Pony Club Australia boosted its Facebook likes by 6.2%, Victoria 5% and New South Wales 4.5%.

#47 WEIGHTLIFTING

The majority (55%) of the weightlifting social media footprint is attributed to a national body that contributes 9,300 to the 17,000 total. Of the states, the social presence is relatively small with the exception of Queensland who have a social following in excess of 3,500.

#48 ACHPER

The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation plays an integral role in representation, professional learning and providing networking opportunities to those in the (physical) education, recreation, health, sport, dance, fitness and human movement space.

ACHPER has a social media presence across the country with the national body claiming the largest footprint (35%) within the 14,000 total. Of the states, New South Wales (2,500) and Victoria (2,800) are evenly matched as are Queensland and Western Australia (1,250 each).

#49 ICE HOCKEY

Ice Hockey has a social presence in most states and territories with the largest follower count of 5,000 attributed to Ice Hockey Australia in what is a 12,500 total for the sport. The two largest states by footprint are Victoria (2,800) and New South Wales (2,500).

#50 LACROSSE

The sport of Lacrosse has a social media footprint in most states with Lacrosse Australia engaging 5,000 of the 12,000 total for the sport. The most active state by some margin is Victoria with 3,100 followers with South Australia edging out Western Australia for second place.

With ice and snow a rare commodity in Australia the governing body for winter sports has focused all its social media efforts at a national level. Despite a short season and limited facilities the sport performs well socially with a 7% improvement in its Facebook count in the last quarter that translates to 500 new likes. On Twitter there are small gains of just over 1% with Instagram up by 6%.

Sports Taekwondo Australia has connected with 60% of the sports 11,000 social media followers. Of the states, no social media presence was found in New South Wales or Victoria with Queensland claiming the largest following at 1,800. South Australia and Western Australia have close to a 1,000 followers across all channels with Tasmania and the ACT evenly matched on 500 apiece.

Formerly referred to as AUSSI, (Australian Union of Senior Swimmers International) it became Masters Swimming in 2009 catering to adult swimmers over the age of 18 regardless of ability. The national body has the largest portion of the sports 10,000 social media footprint at 35%. With a social presence in all states the largest count can be found in New South Wales with 2,700 followed by Victoria (1,400) and Queensland (1,000).

Tenpin Bowling has a social media presence in most states and territories with more than 40% of the 10,000 national footprint aligned to Tenpin Bowling Australia. Reviewing the respective states, Queensland has the largest following at 2,300 with New South Wales on 1,000.

Squash has a social media presence in the majority of states and territories. More than 50% of the 9,300 national footprint is overseen by Squash Australia. Looking at state representative bodies, Victoria is the most ‘social’ with a footprint of over 2,000 followed by South Australia (1,000).

Handball has a social media presence in the majority of states and territories. Close to 60% of the 9,000 total footprint rests with Handball Australia. Of the states the follower range is between 500 and 700 for all states with a smaller count in Tasmania.

Ultimate is a non-contact, self-refereed sport played in over 30 countries with a flying disc (Frisbee). It combines elements of netball, touch football and grid-iron. Teams are usually co-ed and it is particularly popular in universities and high schools.

Ultimate Australia has a 50% share of the sports 9,000 social media footprint with a presence in most states and territories (excluding News South Wales and the ACT). The largest following can be found in Victoria (1,600) and Western Australia (1,100).

The first Australian involvement in dragon boat racing was in 1980 when the Penang Tourist Development Corporation invited the WA Surf Life Saving Association to send a team to the Penang Festival. The Australian Dragon Boat Federation (AusDBF) was later formed in 1997. AusDBF has a 40% share in the sports national footprint of 8,500. Of the state representative organisations New South Wales has close to 2,000 social media followers with a South Australia’s total of 1,100.

Archery Australia commands 58% of the sports national social media footprint of 8,500. There are four states with a presence – South Australia being the most ‘social’ at 1,400 followed by Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

Table Tennis Australia currently has 43% off the sports total social media footprint of 8,500. There are five states and territories with a social presence, the largest of which is 1,400 (Victoria), followed by Queensland (1,100), New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT.

Nationally, Diving Australia oversees 58% of the sports social media presence of 8,500. New South Wales has a further 20% with the remainder shared between Victoria (900), South Australia and Tasmania.

In most states there is a peak body that represents the interests of the sport and recreation industry. Looking at their respective social media footprints the largest is VicSport who have a Facebook and Twitter account with the latter contributing the bulk of its 5,800 followers. Sport NSW has close to a 1,000 followers mainly on Facebook.

The total social media footprint of the sport is 7,200 with 40% following Orienteering Australia. The remainder is evenly distributed in the 500-900 range across the states and territory (ACT). New South Wales is the largest but interestingly has a social audience only a handful ahead of the ACT.

With 6,700 followers across the country the national body (Judo Australia) currently engages 40% of the total. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are separated by just a handful of supporters with each state having a footprint under the 1,000 mark. Western Australia is not far behind (750) followed by the ACT and South Australia.

Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a relatively new, fast-growing sport. With a decentralised social footprint there is little separating the national body and several states. The organisation with the largest following is Western Australia (1,600), followed by Kiteboarding Australia (1,350) and New South Wales. The national total is 5,600.

In researching peak bodies representing the Outdoors sector at a state and national level several organisations emerged – each with a slightly different title and mandate. The entity with the largest social media footprint by some margin was QORF (Queensland Outdoor Recreation Foundation) with a presence on three social media channels totaling 2,000. Next was Outdoors WA with a following of 1,500 then Outdoors SA, the Outdoor Council of Australia (national) and Outdoors Victoria with a combined total of 5,000.

The Fencing social media footprint is limited to four states and the national body with a combined total of 4,900. The largest presence is in Queensland with 1,750 followers, then Fencing Australia (1,600), New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

Clay target or skeet shooting is an Olympic Sport with the Australian Clay Target Association engaging 55% of the sports 4,500 total. Of the states and territories New South Wales has 1,300 followers, while South Australia and the Northern Territory also have a presence.

Rogaining can be described as an orienteering ultra-marathon for teams that can last from three to 24 hours. No social media footprint for the national body was found with South Australia having the largest presence of 1,400 followed by Queensland’s 1,100. Next is Western Australia then the ACT, Victoria and Northern Territory. The sports total social footprint is a little over 4,000.

The Olympic sports social media following has focused on the Synchro Australia national body who have 57% of the 3,700 total. Western Australia has the largest state presence of 700 followed by Victoria and New South Wales.

This sport has several titles, reflecting a loose collection of organisations. Nationally, the governing body is referred to as the Australian Billiards and Snooker council. It has the largest footprint of all entities tracked with 1,800 followers representing 50% of the 3,700 total. Of the states, Pool Victoria is the most ‘social’ at 1,200 then Snooker WA with 500.

Ice Skating Australia as the national governing body for the sport has the largest social media footprint of all the organisations ranked with 2,100 or 57% of the 3,700 total. Ice Skating Victoria has a social presence of 1,000 followed by Western Australia and Queensland.

From a social media perspective darts are big in Tasmania, with the state organisation having the largest footprint of all representative bodies at 1,300 equivalent to 40% of the 3,100 total. Not far behind is Queensland with 1,000 followers then South Australia, the ACT and Darts Australia.

After some confusion leading into the Rio games windsurfing or sailboarding was reinstated as an Olympic sport. In Australia, most of the social media interest is concentrated in Western Australia where it has a footprint of 1,400 accounting for more than half of the sports 2,600 total. Next largest is the Australian Windsurfing national body with 550 followers, then an evenly matched Queensland and Victoria.

There are just a handful of social media followers between Croquet SA and Croquet Queensland who have the largest footprints nationally. They are followed by New South Wales and Victoria with a combined total for the sport of 900.

Modern Pentathlon benefitted from a major boost in its profile in Australia thanks to the heroic efforts of Chloe Esposito who won gold at the Rio Olympics. Looking at its social media footprint a half of all followers can be attributed to the national body, Modern Pentathlon Australia. Of the states, Western Australia has the largest following (175), followed by Queensland and Victoria.

Wrestling Queensland is the most ‘social’ governing body for the sport with 400 likes. The only other social presence is in the ACT where there are 200 followers.