WBSC passes 750k followers on social media
29/12/2020 3 Minute Read

WBSC passes 750k followers on social media

Among Olympic-sport world governing bodies, the WBSC ranks amongst the most engaging accounts on Twitter. The year 2021 is set to be an explosive one for international baseball and softball’s digital media footprint.

The social media channels of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) have surpassed the 750k milestone.

The WBSC’s biggest social media presence is on Facebook, where the world governing body’s following has grown to 455k.  On Twitter, the WBSC official accounts total 132k followers. On YouTube, the WBSC has registered 123k subscribers, while the WBSC has built a 53k following on Instagram.

“International baseball and softball national team content has proven to be a highly engaging across all media, including social media, television and the press,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “While the pandemic has put a hold on our Baseball and Softball World Cups, we managed to reach several significant milestones as a result of strategic digital partnerships with leagues, which have been very successful -- and this will continue to be part of our growth strategy moving forward.”

The WBSC over the past years has made available (subject to geo-block restrictions) live-streamed Baseball and Softball World Cups, and the flagship Premier12. National Team game footage has been the building block for viral content across WBSC’s social media platforms, and also for WBSC’s broadcast partners.

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing postponements in the sporting world -- including Baseball and Softball World Cups and two Tokyo 2020 Olympic Baseball Qualifiers -- the WBSC, together with its OTT platform GameTime.sport, launched a “WBSC GameTime Classics Series”, which re-streamed memorable international games to audiences worldwide (free of geo-blocking), registering millions of views and social media impressions.

Growing a Global Audience

To welcome and build as big a global audience as possible, the WBSC has made the wbsc.org website available in six languages, including WBSC official languages English and Spanish, as well as, Chinese, French, Japanese and Korean.

In 2021, the WBSC will look to expand its social media presence and fan engagement with the rolling out of dedicated accounts in other languages, in addition to strategic partnerships with well-positioned media outlets.

E-sports will also be part of the WBSC’s new and broadened digital media strategy targeting new demographics, which have already been boosted by the five-on-five Baseball5 urban discipline, which will make its Youth Olympic Games debut in 2026.

Baseball and softball’s upcoming Olympic return at the Tokyo 2020 Games will be one of the most anticipated and engaging international baseball and softball events in history -- and they are expected to be one of the main attractions at the Games -- setting the stage to further grow and engage audiences worldwide.

The WBSC and GameTime.Sport will also continue building strategic partnerships with leagues around the world, in order to continue year-round programming and build momentum leading to and following Baseball and Softball World Cups.

Live-stream partnerships realised in 2020 include the iconic Cuban Series Nacional Baseball Series, the Mexican Prospects League, the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League, Panama National Baseball League, the Taiwan Baseball5 Championships, and the 2020-2021 Australian Baseball League season.

End of Year Review series

2020 - Beng Choo Low: 2020 accelerates adaptation and progress for international baseball/softball
2020 - 'Federation Focus' series highlights baseball/softball activity around the world
2020 - WBSC Athletes Commission stays active, reviews game amid COVID-19 pandemic
2020 - End-of-the-year message from WBSC President to the global Baseball Softball community
2020 - Baseball 5 - Baseball5 takes the sport to communities never reached before
2020 - Softball: Olympic Softball architect Don Porter passes away; U-18 Men only World Cup played in disrupted year
2020 - Baseball: An international baseball season like no other
2020 - U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup: Japan wins lone global baseball/softball event in 2020
2020 - Development: Global baseball-softball development doesn’t stop amid global pandemic
2019 WBSC Congress one-year progress report: An unforgettable year in many ways
2019 - Year in Review