How the UFL Sets the Standard for Transparency and Engagement in Sports on Social Media
The United Football League prioritizes transparency with its audience throughout its games, ensuring clarity in officiating, rules, and penalties. Moreover, the league actively utilizes social media to engage with its audience in real time, fostering interactive and dynamic experiences for fans to stay connected and informed.
The UFL utilizes X as a primary social media platform for fostering transparency and authenticity within its fan base, as opposed to many other organizations that may view social media primarily as a means of generating engagement for monetization purposes.
During games, the UFL demonstrates its commitment to honesty and openness by actively engaging with its fans on X platform. The league encourages fans to comment about plays in real time and responds to questions and comments to clarify officiating decisions, rules, and penalties.
“Transparency in officiating was a key element in the XFL during the 2023 season and one of the best practices that we brought over into the UFL,” said a UFL spokesperson. “The ability to provide viewers with a peek inside the review process was well received and we wanted to maintain that level of transparency.”
With this approach, not only does the UFL enhance the overall viewing experience for fans, it also strengthens the bond between the league and its audience, resulting in increased loyalty and trust. By prioritizing transparency on social media platforms such as X, the UFL distinguishes itself as an organization that is forward-thinking and fan-centric.
Through a three-screen split, the XFL introduced a unique broadcast format to provide viewers with insights into replay reviews during the 2021 season. During this setup, viewers could see the XFL’s command center, referees on the field, and the league’s vice president for officiating and rules innovation. The UFL brought back this feature following the merger and leveraged the sponsorship of the United States Army to brand the review studio as the United States Army Command Center.
UFL social media management involves prioritizing the dissemination of real-time information to its followers regarding developments and plays on the field. The league adopts a systematic approach to ensuring reliability and accuracy in information it shares with the audience. As games unfold rapidly and dynamically, the league’s social media team works closely to identify significant moments as soon as possible.
Gen Z fans are drawn to the UFL’s transparent and authentic approach, fostering trust and connection among viewers, which has significantly boosted viewership numbers. With the recent signing of YouTube star Deestroying to the San Antonio Brahmas, the UFL demonstrates its commitment to engaging with its audience in relatable ways. Heading into Week 4, UFL games have averaged 906k viewers per game, marking a notable 45% increase over last year’s regular-season average across the USFL and XFL.
A UFL spokesperson explained that these moments are meticulously verified for accuracy, and historical perspectives and data sources are incorporated where possible. In the fast-paced environment of live sports events, the UFL’s concerted effort meets fans’ expectations for timely and accurate information based on their commitment to providing up-to-date and precise information.
“We want to continue to innovate, it is in our DNA. We know that to draw viewers and create fandom we have to be different while being respectful of what makes the game of football great,” said a UFL spokesperson.
