FRIENDS OR FOLLOWERS The Relations between German Soccer Clubs and Their Fans on Twitter

#IR14 Internet Research 14, October 2013, Denver CO.

Katrin Weller @kwelle

katrin.weller@gesis.org

Axel Bruns @snurb_dot_info

a.bruns@qut.edu.au

Twitter and sports

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3 Job offer: https://twitter.com/jobs/positions?jvi=oCLoWfwr,Job

1.Fußball Bundesliga

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Some facts

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• 18 teams per season

• 50 years history

• €1.6 billion in 2009/10

• largest average attendance in European soccer

• Recent champions: FCB, BVB

Twitter steps in

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https://blog.twitter.com/de/2012/die-fu%C3%9Fball-saison-20122013-auf-twitter

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Source: twitter.com an 2. Februar 2012 /

See also: http://blog.de.twitter.com/2012/02/twitter-und-fuball.html

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2011/12 Season: Account chaos

Heavy-Handed Tactics

http://www.nettooor.be/account-s04-suspended-fail-schalke/

2012/13 Season: Consolidation

new account

Fans as Followers

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Account Follower Growth

Account Follower Growth

Followers / Fans

15 Membership numbers from www.bundesliga.de,

collected Oct. 2013. Follower numbers July 2013

Strong correlation Pearson: 0.84 Spearman: 0.91

Global Fanbase

Local Following

(Inter)action

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2012/13 Season Ends

Season Begins

2011-13

2012/13 Season 2011/12 Season

2011-13

2012/13 Season 2011/12 Season

2012/13 Champions League Final: FC Bayern – Borussia Dortmund

Season Ends

Season Begins

Season Ends

Season Begins

Growth in @mentions

Thank You!

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JOIN US!

Roundtable and Book Launch:

Twitter and Society and Beyond

26 Oct. 2013, 13:30-15:00, Confluence B