As sports leagues, teams and athletes continue to rely on social media for real-time engagement, viral moments capture the world’s attention. Whether it’s a dog saving a soccer goal, a dart player’s troll-tastic handshake or a mascot with the best dance moves, these micro-moments captivate fans and drive team loyalty in a way that transcends traditional box score metrics.
The Olympics are a breeding ground for viral moments, but the 2024 games saw a particularly flurry of activity that went beyond the merely wacky or silly. From “pommel horse guy” winning a bronze medal to Olympic pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati’s – uh – manhood getting in the way of his shot, some of the summer’s biggest sports moments broke the internet.
When India’s cricket legend Virat Kohli announced his retirement, he did it in style, sending the cricket-crazy nation into a frenzy and generating more than 1 billion posts globally within 24 hours. The viral moment wasn’t just about cricket but about legacy and a life well lived.
For a powerful emotional punch, few things can beat a tearjerker. That’s why these sports ads are among the most shared of all time, with tens of millions of reactions across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. One ad in particular – the one featuring athlete’s thanking their moms – was especially moving, with many viewers confessing to shedding a tear or two while watching it. It also drove a huge spike in traffic to the Seahawks’ website, making it one of the most successful sports marketing campaigns of all time.