As Threads continues to add more sport-related elements, in order to tap into the value of sports engagement, and in particular, live sport discussion, Instagram is now also seemingly exploring sports engagement options, in order to expand that push.
As per the above screenshot, which was shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi on X, Instagram seems to be experimenting with a new sports-related feature that would enable IG users to specify sports that they’re interested in.
The sports listing would seemingly enable users to select from a list of top sports and customize the types of updates they want to see from each league.
Instagram would then use that info to highlight relevant, real-time sports updates and showcase more sports content to interested users.
Sports content may not immediately stand out as a key focus on IG, but sports discussion overall drives significant engagement across Meta’s apps.
In September 2025, Meta published a report on rising sports engagement across its platforms. That study noted that Meta apps are among the primary online destinations for sports engagement.
Doubling down on that, then, could be a valuable focus.
Sports remains the most discussed topic on X and that platform is also a key real-time engagement driver. That’s important for an app like Threads, which is looking to become a bigger focus for event-related discussion.
But Instagram is also a key platform for sports engagement, with Boardroom recently reporting that some of the most followed people in the app are sports stars.
Earlier this year, Meta also reported that interest in women’s sport is rising in its apps, with 128 million people combined now following the top 10 women athletes on Instagram.
That could present a significant opportunity for Instagram to tap into rising sports interest, and this new feature could be another means to drive more sports engagement.
Instagram did not immediately respond to Social Media Today’s request for comment.
