This Top 10 List of Sports Content Creators Shows a Major Consumer Shift

• Social media is rapidly transforming sports content, with fans increasingly devouring user-generated entertainment alongside media featuring the pros.
  
  
  Adweek commissioned a study by social research firm Simply Measured to identify which sports creators are top scorers with users. Turns out, a cornucopia of teams, consumer brands, social media mavens and tech startups generate the biggest social reach—and marketers are taking note. "Brands are focusing a lot more on partnering with this new mix of sports influencer networks and publishers that have massive audiences," said Kevin Shively, senior content marketing manager at Simply Measured. Here are the top 10:

FC Barcelona, Social Reach: 116,168,676

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  FC Barcelona holds court with a digital audience of 116 million as effortlessly as its star Lionel Messi dribbles through defenders. Thanks to gigantic followings on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Vine, the team has become a media platform unto itself—promoting tweet-worthy players like Messi.
  "The great sports content providers are like rock stars," said marketing consultant David Deal. "They capture an unbelievable passion and loyalty that is tribal in nature."
  Deal and other industry experts contend that FC Barcelona has only begun to scratch the surface of its interactive branding prowess for partners such as Nike, Audi and Estrella Damm.
  While FC Barcelona didn't respond to interview requests, it gave fans a glimpse last week into potentially what's to come, posting a rare brand-partner clip on Vine for Estrella Damm that garnered 200,000 views in a matter of hours.
  The team would be wise to next debut sponsored behind-the-scenes footage, suggested Tim McCord, vp of digital strategy at GMR. "The best experiences, not only brought to you by, but made better by the brand, offer huge potential as brand storytelling finally comes into its own," he said.
  That's why Barça—the world's leading sports social entity—will likely score bigger brand spends as it stands at a critical juncture of social and TV.
  
  "It's crucial for marketers to stay on top of sports-related opportunities," explained Noah Mallin, head of social at MEC. "You're at the intersection of today's content consumption behavior, with fans watching TV while engaging with a mobile device in places like Twitter to talk about what they are seeing."

Real Madrid CF: 113,078,803

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  Right behind FC Barcelona, rival Real Madrid's massive Twitter audience (16.3 million) underscores soccer's (and its star Cristiano Ronaldo, l.) global appeal. The New York Yankees—baseball's marquee club—only counts 1.4 million Twitter followers. Sponsors like Adidas and Emirates will reap the benefits as Real Madrid's social advertising offerings evolve. 

National Basketball Association: 58,147,800

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  The NBA is the only classic American sports league on the list. It deserves props for staying ahead of the digital curve by going beyond just hoops—posting fashion-savvy players on Instagram in their pre- and postgame attire. But the NBA's best work may be growing its Vine account to 1.1 million followers, which puts it atop the sports category. 
  
  
  Find the rest of the top 10 here