Instagram launched its Reels product -- 15-second-or-less clips -- on Aug. 5, and so far, the Coyotes, Blackhawks and Lightning are among the most active NHL clubs, according to data provided by social insights and intelligence platform Conviva. The Coyotes posted 14 Reels between Aug. 5-31, while the Blackhawks and Lightning each posted seven during the same period. To date, 40% of NHL clubs (13) have posted at least one Instagram Reel over nearly the past month compared to 70% of NBA teams (21 out of 30). Conviva VP/Strategy Nick Cicero spoke on how the new content product compares to a similar one in TikTok: “You’ll see a lot of NHL teams probably create more Reels because they might have a wider group of people that they could try to reach on Instagram, but then I can also imagine they’ll look to reach somewhat of a new type audience on TikTok that might not be on Instagram or Facebook.” Other data points include:
- The Capitals, Blackhawks and Avalanche have the highest average engagements per Reel -- 18,224, 16,637 and 10,391, respectively -- among those NHL clubs who’ve posted at least two Reels.
- Reels for NHL franchises had 50% more engagement versus traditional Instagram videos during the measured period.
- At 2.26 million plays across seven Reels, the Blackhawks held the No. 1 spot for NHL clubs, followed by the Capitals (1.07 million), Coyotes (841,900), Lightning (836,200) and Avalanche (533,000). The Blackhawks also had the No. 1 most-viewed Reel at 686,000 plays.
