• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

With TikTok, Chicago Bears Aim To Broaden Their Fanbase

  • A 6-6 start to the 2019 season hasn’t stopped the Chicago Bears from making plays on social media.
  • Since joining TikTok on September 26, the Bears have added over 189,000 followers – ninth-most among North American sports franchises.
chicago-bears-tiktok
Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
chicago-bears-tiktok
Photo Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

When the NFL formalized a two-year content partnership agreement with TikTok in early September, Greg Miller, the Bears’ vice president of content and innovation, simply didn’t want the team to follow the league’s lead with a paint-by-numbers approach.

Instead, when the Bears launched its TikTok profile on September 26, it was backed by a three-pronged strategy that the team believes will help it reach a more youthful audience.

“One of our goals with TikTok is on the youth market – 12 to 24 is a big goal for us,” Miller said. “So we perceived TikTok as being able to help us with the youth market.”

While the team uses its vast history to appeal to both younger and older fans in other fan-facing activations like bobblehead promotions, its TikTok presence is about speaking directly to that younger demographic.

The strategy the Bears have deployed on TikTok was developed in part by social media coordinator Nicole Cabral, whose research helped the team to pinpoint where it should be aggressive in terms of creating content.

 The first of those areas of focus was to create original ideas involving emotional moments. One example of this is a TikTok post involving Bears Linebacker Danny Trevathan.

According to the video, Trevathan’s grandmother was battling cancer and had never watched him play at Soldier Field. While the actual video dates back to 2018, Cabral and Miller decided to repurpose it for TikTok on October 17. Everyone who previously viewed the clip knows how it ended – Trevathan’s grandmother surprised him during a team practice – but Miller had no idea how impactful it’d become. 

As of December 1, the video has more than 4.3 million views on TikTok and is the Bears’ most-viewed post on the platform, said Miller. It also has over 856,400 likes and nearly 3,820 comments. “It was a nice emotional moment,” he added. “That kind of got us started accelerating our followers on TikTok. We have some other pretty popular videos on there, but that’s the one that set us off.”

Another storyline Cabral began pursuing on TikTok were posts with prominent players, said Cabral. One of the Bears’ more well-known stars in recent memory is former Defensive Tackle Spice Adams. Given his outgoing personality, Cabral identified him as someone whose persona could mesh well on TikTok.

One week after the Trevathan post, the Bears released a video of Adams in numerous poses and outfits with the caption, “Spice is not a model or anything but here are some pics.” As of November 18, it has become Chicago’s second-most engaged post on TikTok with more than 1.2 million views and 185,400 likes. 

With the Bears’ growing engagement figures, it’s no surprise that more professional sports teams are looking to TikTok for this, said Joe Gagliese, the co-founder and CEO of media-marketing agency Viral Nation Inc. 

READ MORE: TikTok: Sports’ Next Great Social Media Venture?

Just months ago, the majority of the sports industry was hesitant about exploring TikTok for social media purposes, he said. But now, with teams like the Bears and Golden State Warriors finding success utilizing it, Gagliese thinks that this is just the beginning between sports and TikTok. 

“I think [teams] are looking at TikTok as a really interesting way to get to these very young people,” Gagliese said. “They’ve all kind of benchmarked the fact that these teams and organizations need to tap into them now if they’re going to have the next 10 years as a glory period like they’ve been having the last little while.”

To date, the Bears have accumulated more than 189,000 followers – the ninth-most amongst North American sports teams – and two million likes. At 47 posts since late September, another goal of Miller’s is to see that number increase with the hopes that it bumps up the follower count.

READ MORE: How The Chicago Bulls’ Benny The Bull Inspired A TikTok Movement

But that doesn’t mean the Bears will post for the sake of posting. Certain themes have worked well on the mobile app, but Miller believes that more time is needed to fully recognizes which kinds of posts do and do not resonate with Bears fans.

“We know that not every trend works,” Miller said. “We don’t jump on everything we see, so it has to be a trend that feels natural for us and works for our brand.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Ben Johnson

Bears Beat Out Tom Brady’s Raiders For Ben Johnson

Now the NFL coaching carousel is going to start spinning.

Sports Creators Brace for Potential TikTok Ban

A TikTok ban would fundamentally alter the NIL industry.
Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; From left: Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

A ‘Wave’ of Sports Content Is Coming to TikTok

The next generation is consuming sports in a different way.
Sep 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Ethan Payne (28) dives in for the touchdown during the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory

Portal-Depleted Marshall Bows Out of Independence Bowl

Louisiana Tech (5–7) will take Marshall’s place.

Featured Today

‘Ultimate Throwback’: The Unimpeachable Cool of Hartford Whalers Gear

Nostalgia and street cred have driven a consistent frenzy for merch.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44), before a 2024 NFC divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium.
February 1, 2025

The New WAGs: Sports Wives Building Business Empires

Athletes’ wives and girlfriends are bucking stereotypes and cashing in.
Feb 3, 2019; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears mascot dances on the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Haas Pavilion.
January 31, 2025

The Toll of Bicoastal Travel on New ACC Members Cal and Stanford

Cal and Stanford face missed flights, chaotic sleep schedules, and academic demands.
January 28, 2025

It’s Starting to Pay to Be Good at Cornhole

American Cornhole League players made $7.7 million in 2024.
Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley talks on set before game three of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Charles Barkley Will Deny NBC, Amazon Offers to Stick With Turner

Barkley has repeatedly flip-flopped in his career plans in recent years.
Feb 2, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; AFC wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars (7) carries the ball against NFC return specialist KaVontae Turpin of the Dallas Cowboys (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium.
February 4, 2025

NFL Pro Bowl Ratings Drop Again Despite Flag Football Push

ABC, ESPN, and Disney XD drew 4.7 million viewers for Sunday’s simulcast.
February 4, 2025

Fox Reports Big Sports Profits, Eyes New Streaming Service

Football and baseball helped power surges in company revenue and net income.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
A Fox Sports camera records on the sideline prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
February 3, 2025

Fox Sports Suspends Exec Accused of Sexual Misconduct: NYT

Dixon is a defendant in two lawsuits filed by former Fox Sports employees.
February 3, 2025

Michael Johnson’s New Track League Gets Boost With Media Deal

Noah Lyles said he wasn’t committing until a media deal was announced.
February 3, 2025

Super Bowl LIX Eyes TV Ratings Record With Nielsen Expansion

The measurement agency expands its capabilities to count out-of-home viewing.
February 2, 2025

Will Chiefs-Eagles Set Another Super Bowl TV Ratings Record?

Fox drew 115 million viewers for the same matchup two years ago.