TikTok has recently been redefining how people consume sports content, creating a new era of sporting fandom where fans unite to share their favourite sports, leagues and athletes. Amid an incredible summer of sport, some of the world’s best sports and athleisure brands are tapping into this highly engaged community through launching on TikTok Shop.
TikTok is a place where sports culture thrives and the platform has become THE place to go to for amazing sporting content from Ian Poulter (@ianjamespoulter) giving our quarter-final player of the match a golf lesson, to Ella Toone (@etoone7) getting fans to rate her hoola hoop skills. It’s no wonder #sport is consistently one of our best performing categories, with 11.8 million video creations.
Like the EUROs in 2021, this year’s premier European football tournament has had the TikTok community hooked since day one. In the first week alone, the #EUROS2024 hashtag netted an incredible 1 million posts, whilst England star Jude #Bellingham’s hashtag reached a whopping 62 million views. With #Wimbledon now underway and England in the EURO 2024 final, sport fandom is set to continue.
With the Olympics just around the corner, the excitement from community will only get bigger, as TikTok’s partnership with Team GB (@teamgb) brings fans some of the best content from Paris, giving fans a peak behind the curtain that they can only find on TikTok. Fans of Team GB can also buy the latest Team GB merch without leaving the platform, as the official Team GB TikTok Shop (@teamgb) is now open for business!
Sports and athleisure brands join TikTok Shop to reach #SportsTok community
With so many people coming to TikTok to discover sports-related content, brands have seen and jumped on the opportunity to make the most of this growing community and turn views into sales:
- Sports Direct (@sportsdirectfootball), which already has over 4,000 products available on Shop, has seen footballs sell in their hundreds, during this year’s EUROs tournament, as football fans on the platform look to recreate their favourite moments from the tournament.
- PUMA (@PUMA) achieved a 737% revenue increase in ONE week by embracing TikTok’s suite of e-commerce solutions, including LIVE shopping and TikTok’s creator affiliate programme to reach new audiences.
- Sweaty Betty (@sweatybetty) has just launched on TikTok Shop after teaming up with a host of fitness creators, such as Jo Early (@gainswithjo), to help get people in the fitness mindset, inspired by England’s on-field, on-court talent during the summer of sport.
These brands join a host of sports and athleisure brands already on TikTok Shop, including UMBRO, Trespass and ATSG Golf.
TikTok has always been a place where culture around sport takes centre stage – from the behind the scenes moments at the Euros, to the off-court reactions at Wimbledon. More and more brands are recognising the opportunity this fandom presents, which is why they are launching on TikTok Shop and making it even easier for fans to get inspired by the action and converting views into sales.
– TikTok
How PUMA achieved a 737% revenue increase in ONE week
Puma, with its distinctive and iconic footwear and apparel, is always pushing what’s next in culture. Puma launched on TikTok Shop earlier this year, selling a select range of trainers, accessories and clothing. To capitalise on the summer of sport, the brand recently participated in a one-week deals campaign with the goal of boosting sales and increasing brand awareness. Puma invested in Shop Ads and expanded its product portfolio on Shop, experiencing an impressive 737% increase in revenue vs the previous week.
The brand selected its ‘Mayze’ trainer as the hero product for the campaign, offering a high volume of this popular style at a discounted price to attract customers and drive sales. They collaborated with TikTok creator Dawn Love (@dawnlovex) (151.8K followers), who had a history of promoting Puma’s products. This affiliate partnership played a pivotal role in the campaign, as Dawn went LIVE five times to engage directly with her TikTok community and promote the campaign.
Puma’s daily revenue has since seen a substantial increase of 182%, showing that customers have continued to buy on TikTok Shop beyond the promotion period.