Goal-Oriented Engagement: Comparing the Reach of NHL and PWHL on Instagram Reels and TikTok

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Conference Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Abstract

The National Hockey League stands atop the professional hockey hierarchy in both media coverage and social media popularity. As a new all-women counterpart to this league, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, founded in August 2023, seeks similar success in the sport. However, the two leagues approach their usage of social media differently. One as a long-established organization and the other trying to break through to an audience that has only had a male-dominated product for so long. This study analyzes videos posted by the NHL and PWHL accounts on TikTok and Instagram (N=392) during the month of May 2025. Videos were coded for themes including the type of post, presence of a call to action, original content or collaboration with team, and number of comments, shares, likes, and views. Based on these findings, suggestions are made to improve social media practices for both organizations to encourage increased engagement with a focus on the PWHL as a growing league.

Presenter

Rami Burks & Payton Prichard

Faculty Mentor

Joshua Jackson

Award

2nd Place, LSU Manship College of Mass Communication

Academic Major

Mass Communication; Mass Communication

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS