With streaming platforms, there are clearly too many competing for viewer attention and it also stands that simply being a content provider is not sufficient, continued success requires content creation. The way that content creation is promoted and viewing figures are driven up is primarily via social media.
Currently, YouTube is the most-followed streaming platform on social media, with 218.9 million followers across major platforms. With this regard, YouTube ranks ahead of other popular streaming platforms like Nexflix, Disney and Amazon.
The company ProfileTree has counted follower numbers across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok for 50 global brands to identify which companies dominate the digital landscape. The data has been reviewed by Digital Journal.
Top 10 Most Followed Brands on Social Media
| Rank | Brand | Facebook Followers (millions) | Instagram Followers (millions) | X Followers (millions) | TikTok Followers (millions) | Total Followers (millions) |
| 1 | National Geographic | 50 | 282 | 29 | 8.9 | 369.9 |
| 2 | Nike | 39 | 305 | 10.2 | 6.4 | 360.6 |
| 3 | YouTube | 107 | 31 | 79.6 | 1.3 | 218.9 |
| 4 | NBA | 49 | 89 | 46.7 | 22.3 | 206.7 |
| 5 | NASA | 27 | 97 | 82 | 0 | 206.4 |
| 6 | Netflix | 104 | 34 | 22.6 | 39.4 | 199.5 |
| 7 | Samsung | 161 | 1.8 | 12.3 | 3.7 | 178.8 |
| 8 | ESPN | 23 | 27.3 | 53 | 47 | 150.3 |
| 9 | Marvel | 33 | 66 | 18.9 | 13.3 | 132.2 |
| 10 | CNN | 40 | 20 | 62.7 | 4.5 | 127.2 |
As per the table, National Geographic grabbed the top spot with a combined 369.9 million followers across all platforms. Instagram proved the nature brand’s impact on the public with 282 million followers fawning over its stunning wildlife shots and breathtaking landscapes.
Following the magazine is is Nike with 360.6 million total followers. The sportswear giant beats National Geographic on Instagram, where it has 305 million followers, but falls short on other platforms where the wildlife publisher maintains stronger numbers.
YouTube secured third place with 218.9 million followers across various sites. The video platform boasts the strongest Facebook presence among the top 10 brands, with 107 million followers there alone.
The U.S. NBA takes fourth place with 206.7 million followers in total. The basketball powerhouse scores big on Instagram (89 million followers) and shows surprising strength on TikTok (22.3 million followers). NASA completes the top five with 206.4 million followers despite zero TikTok presence. The space agency dominates on X with 82 million followers, more than any other brand on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Netflix landed sixth with 199.5 million followers, showing consistent strength across all platforms but particularly impressive numbers on Facebook (104 million followers) and TikTok (39.4 million followers). Samsung displays a lopsided platform preference, ranking seventh overall with 178.8 million followers. The tech giant amassed 161 million Facebook followers, the highest of any brand analysed on the site, with just 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
ESPN secured eighth place with 150.3 million followers; and the brands Marvel and CNN round out the top 10 with 132.2 million and 127.2 million followers, respectively, across all platforms. Notably, Disney just missed the top ten with 118.1 million total followers.
These findings demonstrate how different brands prioritise different social platforms based on their target audiences and content strategies. Interestingly, some brands dominate specific platforms while having minimal presence on others.
