From posts to engagement: comparing TikTok and Instagram communication among Czech sports teams

Introduction Social media platforms have become important communication channels for sports organisations, yet audience engagement may vary according to platform, content format, publication day, and posting time. This study aimed to compare engagement performance on TikTok and Instagram among selected Czech sports teams and to identify platform-, content-, day-, and time-specific patterns associated with audience interaction. Methods The study employed a quantitative content analysis of 7,721 social media content items published by 15 selected Czech sports organisations in 2024. Data were obtained through Popsters and c using Engagement Rate (ER), Love Rate (LR), and Talk Rate (TR). In addition, a selected subset of 115 content items was examined to identify content-specific engagement patterns across TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and standard Instagram posts. Differences related to platform, publication day, and posting time were assessed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results Descriptive results showed higher engagement values for TikTok across several metrics; however, inferential analysis did not identify a statistically significant difference in engagement between the platforms. Content analysis of the selected subset indicated that Player/Athlete Persona and Fan Engagement were prominently represented among TikTok videos and Instagram Reels, whereas Current Event and Match Highlights, Results or Previews were more strongly represented among standard Instagram posts. No statistically significant differences in engagement were identified according to publication day or posting time. Discussion The findings indicate platform-, format-, and content-specific descriptive engagement patterns rather than statistically confirmed superiority of either TikTok or Instagram. The results suggest that Czech sports organisations may benefit from adapting organic social media communication to the specific engagement characteristics of individual platforms and content formats. However, the findings should be interpreted in light of the purposive sample and observational research design, which limit causal inference and broader generalisability.