WHY DOES MANCHESTER UNITED NOT MONETISE SOCIAL MEDIA?

Sports are constantly evolving, and with them, so are marketing strategies. Social media currently enables clubs to expand their target audience and increase visibility, as well as provide an additional source of revenue.

In fact, nearly every club uses social media to monetise and gain additional income – except Manchester United. The English club prefers to use its players as influencers rather than publishing sponsored posts, creating bespoke communication for each player to direct the audience to external websites and acquire data to enhance its e-commerce side, with a particular focus on the team’s star players.

Currently, United boasts the largest fan base in Europe and dominates social media with numbers surpassing those of its rivals, thanks in part to recent signings, most notably Cristiano Ronaldo. His presence alone brings substantial visibility to the team. By using its players to share personal stories, match moments, or anecdotes, United establishes an emotional connection with fans through their favourite players, even if only virtually.

This unusual strategy, unmatched among other top global clubs, is nonetheless shrewd and appears to be yielding results, given the club’s strong following and recent income, despite consistently moderate yet rarely outstanding sporting results.

By Antonio Devilla