One of the biggest stories in media is the ongoing flood of individuals joining the social media platform Bluesky, especially in the wake of the 2024 Presidential Election. With Donald Trump’s best buddy Elon Musk in charge of X, the increasingly right wing flavor of the platform formerly known as Twitter and tons of other changes has left scores of people seeking an alternative.
That’s especially true in sports media.
Although there is the belief that the so-called “Xodus” has some political motivation to it, sports journalists like Mina Kimes have expressed the desire to focus on Bluesky because X has become way too toxic to engage with on a regular basis.
Other sports journalists have shared a similar argument. They find better engagement on Bluesky and don’t have to deal with the technical or moral quandries that X presents.
But for a dose of reality, Bluesky still lags well behind X and other social platforms in users, power, and influence. The platform has a user-friendly algorithm that is way less invasive than others, but also lacks an easy, intuitive way to track trending topics and what’s happening now. That’s a big issue for following live sports.
Another reality check for Bluesky is that the teams and leagues themselves are still dedicated to their huge and loyal followings on X. And the biggest of them all, the NFL, isn’t ready to fully embrace the new platform as of yet.
Via Front Office Sports:
The NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, WNBA, NWSL, and MLB all have Threads accounts, although their collective following on that platform (17.9 million total) is dwarfed by their reach on X (106.1 million as of Nov. 25). Threads, which is more algorithm-driven than X or Bluesky, is not designed as a news hub and lacks the functionality to rival X for breaking news.
“X remains a popular social media platform where millions of NFL fans congregate to share their thoughts on the latest developments related to their favorite sport,” an NFL spokesperson tells FOS. “As we noted last week with the launch of a new feature on X called the NFL Portal, we’re constantly looking to increase the number of ways fans can easily engage with the NFL across all forms of media.”
As far as Bluesky, the spokesperson said the NFL is “aware of Bluesky but currently does not have an official presence on the platform.”
And herein lies the biggest issue with Bluesky ever becoming a true competitor with X. Unless the major leagues and brands get involved and it becomes a real epicenter of news, not just a more friendly, relaxed hangout, then it will never really catch up as platform.
And the NFL, as America’s top sports and entertainment property, needs to be a major presence on Bluesky if it’s going to be a major player. Even after all the millions of new users and positive press, the fact that the NFL is only just “aware” of Bluesky isn’t promising. And given the NFL already has a partnership with X and owner Elon Musk isn’t exactly a fan of competition, the NFL may lag even further behind others making the switch.
So while Bluesky might have a fun, cool retro vibe for people that want their old social media experience without the bots, trolls, and political propaganda, they may have to wait a while for everyone
About Matt Yoder