In the competition between X and Threads to become the real-time social media app of choice, sports is a key battleground, which is why both platforms are now looking to make sports engagement a bigger focus in their apps.
X has made the latest play on this front, with the introduction of a new NBA Portal activation, an in-app destination where basketball fans will be able to keep up to date on the latest league news and headlines, just in time for the playoffs.
As explained by X:
“X is locking in its role as the world’s most important platform for sports fans, partnering with the NBA to launch the NBA Portal as the 2025 postseason begins later this month […] The NBA Portal will offer a truly immersive experience for basketball fans around the world, showcasing must-have information, including where to watch games; see real-time scores, stats, highlights; and curated content from teams, players, media. and creators.”
To be clear, the portal will show you where you can watch games, it won’t be hosting game broadcasts itself.
Essentially, the NBA Portal is similar to the NFL Portal that X launched last November, providing a centralized space to keep up with league news.
As with the NFL version, the NBA Portal will include a live feed of the latest posts about the NBA, as well as dedicated tabs for in-progress games, standings, and stats.
It’s a good activation, which should help NBA fans engage with related content, though most of them will already have their own, embedded habits around how they engage in the app.
Which is also X’s key strength. While a portion of X users have switched off following Elon Musk’s takeover at the app, with many switching to Threads instead, many large communities remain embedded. And with sports being the biggest topic of discussion in the app, that may well be the key element that’s keeping X’s engagement stats steady.
Which is why Meta’s making a bigger play for sports on Threads.
It recently announced a new partnership with UFC, which makes Threads a key focus of coming UFC social media activities.
Meta has also reported that sports discussion is rising fast on Threads, with sports-related creators collectively growing their follower communities by nearly a million people over the last two months.
If Meta can get more leagues to put more emphasis on Threads, and lure more sports communities and creators, that could see it take a big chunk of X’s usage, and put it on track to become the dominant real-time social platform of choice.
Threads still has a way to go on this front, with its algorithmic aversion to “political” content reducing its utility for following breaking news. But it’s now moving away from that, and if it can provide a great live engagement experience for upcoming UFC events, you can bet that other leagues will take notice.
Which, again, is why this latest activation from X is important, in ensuring that it continues to appeal to sports fans, and maintain those communities.
I don’t see sports fans making a big migration any time soon, but if Threads starts to offer better coverage, and attract sports influencers, that could become a problem for X.
