Tom Brady Bigger Than Ever On Social Media Following Retirement Announcement

On Tuesday, Tom Brady – considered the greatest football quarterback of all time – announced his retirement from the NFL. Over the course of his more than two decades playing professional football Brady, 44, won seven Lombardi trophies, the most championships won by a single player. He also won five Super Bowl MVPs.

“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition – if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady said. in his statement on Instagram. “There is a physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years.”

Brady, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season, was adamant for weeks that he never wanted a “farewell season,” sources told ESPN. And on Tuesday, less than a week after the Buccaneers were knocked out of Super Bowl contention following a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Brady officially announced his retirement.

Not surprisingly, Brady received much praise on social media.

“Memories to last a lifetime. Thank you, 12” posted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) on Tuesday.

Brady’s former employers at the New England Patriots (atPatriots) also posted to Twitter, “It was quite the ride. Thank you and congratulations, @TomBrady.”

Reaction And Interactions Across Social Media

Tom Brady’s impact on professional football was noted across the social media spectrum. And it wasn’t just the outpouring of posts from fans.

Brady’s own social media presence increased following the news of his retirement according to the data team at the unified CX platform, Emplifi, which offered deep dive across the social platforms.

On Instagram, Brady saw the addition of 215,000 followers on Tuesday. That was a significant increase Brady normally averages out at about 7.8 thousand new followers a day. There were also 4.2 million interactions on his post as well, and Brady normally averages out at about 300,000 interactions per post.

Following his retirement announcement Brady received an additional 39.5 thousand followers on Twitter, significantly higher than the 2,000 average followers the five-time Super Bowl MVP normally receives. In addition, his Tuesday post had some 673,000 interactions.

Over at Facebook, Brady added around 6,800 fans, and had about 179,000 interactions – far in excess of his 30,000 normal daily interactions. However, his January 25 posts – following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Rams – he had received even more engagement, with 226,000 interactions from users on the social network.

“It’s no surprise that Tom Brady’s retirement announcement is lighting up social media, given his status as a celebrity sports star and an influencer,” said Bob Gearing, global enterprise head at Emplifi.

On February 1 alone, Brady added 215 thousand followers, where he normally averages out at about 7-8 thousand per day. That same post saw 4.2 million interactions, highlighting to what extent Instagram is the platform of choice for influencers and celebrities looking to engage with their fans and followers, “Gearing explained via an email.

“Reactions on Brady’s Twitter and Facebook profiles were also up as a result of his announcement,” Gearing added. “Interestingly, on Facebook his post on 25th Jan, in which he thanked his teammates for the great season, actually got more engagement, at 226 thousand, than his retirement post on the Feb. 1, with 179 thousand interactions. And, by announcing His retirement on his social media channels, Brady was able to control the communication, sharing his news with his fans and followers first. “

Love him or hate him, Brady certainly had the attention of football fans this week on social media.