Entertaining fans across the world through digital channels is a core part of the Club’s approach to fan engagement. This season, with the introduction of City Studios, a unique, world-class content hub at the heart of City Football Academy, the Club broadened its output through video via social media, its website and app.
Focusing on creativity and production expertise, City Studios’ purpose-built content hub, Studio 1, has revolutionised the way video is produced at the Club, leading to improvements in the quality of output with long-form video and live programming boosting viewing figures.
City’s Matchday Live shows have continued to evolve and progress, with top guest pundits employed for every men’s first team game along with live commentary.
Games regularly draw 1.4 million views with the Club’s show for the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul attracting 6.2 million.
In addition, the number of subscribers being added after each game was double the previous year’s tally. Again showing the ongoing and growing interest from fans in engaging with the Club’s content.
More widely, the Club had almost 25 million average monthly active users, the highest of all major European football teams on YouTube this season.
Long-form content has enjoyed a boom with a steady stream of well-crafted documentaries coming out of City Studios.
A wide variety of subjects were covered during the season, including: Together Champions Again (a seven part series); Rehab to the World Cup: Our Three Lions; Laporte ABC; The Riyad Mahrez Story; and Feed the Goat, a documentary on former striker Shaun Goater.
As the Club’s popularity has continued to grow, so too has the interest in Manchester City’s Official App with downloads almost doubling compared to the previous season.
City achieved impressive numbers with a widening of audiences on every platform.
Total engagements (measured as likes, shares, comments) across the four main platforms –Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok – were up by 87% on the previous season.
The standout highlight was Instagram Reels, which drew the highest number of engagements with 372 million (up 156% year-on-year), followed by TikTok, with 257 million (up 226% year-on-year) and X, with 158 million (up 69% year-on-year).
At the end of the season, City’s main social media accounts had a total of 132 million followers, enabling fans around the world to keep up to date with the latest news and content from their Club.
In terms of followers, Instagram was the most popular social platform with 46.3 million (up 41%), followed by Facebook 42.9 million (up 5%), TikTok 20.1 million (up 147%), and X 16.4 million (up 28%). YouTube subscribers grew to 6.4 million (up 43%).
Video views on Manchester City’s main social accounts increased to 6.9 billion (up 107% year-on-year).
Total engagements (likes, shares, comments) across platforms up by 87% in 2022-23
Source: Result Sport, Manchester City
132m followers across Manchester City’s main social media accounts in 2022-23
Source: Result Sport, Manchester City
Video views on Manchester City’s main social accounts increased to over 6.9bn
Source: Result Sport, Manchester City
Growing global interest in City was reflected in another best-ever year for TV viewing figures, with City the most watched team in Europe when including both domestic and European games.
Across all competitions, City’s total audience reached a new club record of 786 million, 28% higher than in the 2021-22 season, with the women’s team contributing 5 million viewers towards this total.
No fewer than five of the six most viewed Premier League games in the past four seasons have now featured Pep Guardiola’s side.
The average live UK audience of City games stood at 2 million, a 14% rise year-on-year.
Viewers of games featuring Manchester City on television in 2022-23
Across all competitions, City’s total TV audience for both its men’s and women’s teams was 786 million, 28% higher than the 2021-22 figure and a new Club record
Across all competitions, City’s total TV audience for both its men’s and women’s teams was 786 million, 28% higher than the 2021-22 figure and a new Club record
Note: viewing figures include live games, delayed/repeat broadcasts and highlights
Source: Nielsen Sports
