The Wrexham Association Football Club, or Wrexham AFC, is a professional football club based in Wrexham, Wales. Founded in 1864, they are the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional football team in the world still playing (Independent, 2023). Wrexham AFC competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
In November 2020, the club was acquired by RR McReynolds LLC, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, for £2 million (Independent, 2023). The high-profile purchase brought international attention to the small club and signaled the actors’ intention to invest in Wrexham AFC’s success.
Wrexham’s TikTok Presence
In February 2021, Wrexham AFC created an official TikTok account to engage with supporters in a fun and lighthearted way. The account quickly gained popularity by posting funny and behind-the-scenes videos of players, coaches, and fans.
Wrexham’s content showcases the club’s underdog personality with self-deprecating humor and highlights the passion of its dedicated supporters. Videos often poke fun at the club’s struggles in the fifth tier of English football while embracing the sense of hope and community surrounding Wrexham.
The account saw massive growth in 2022 after the takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Wrexham’s TikTok following grew from around 5,000 in February 2022 to over 525,000 by the end of the year[1]. Posts increased from 1-2 videos per week to multiple videos daily, clocking over 50 million TikTok views.
Wrexham’s lighthearted approach helped humanize the club and connect to supporters in an authentic way not often seen in professional sports. The TikTok account exemplified the club’s underdog personality and used humor to embrace both the highs and lows of lower league football.
TikTok Content Style and Strategy
Wrexham AFC has developed a unique and engaging style for their TikTok channel. Much of their content provides fans with an inside look at the club through behind-the-scenes footage. Players and coaches are often featured in videos interacting with each other in a casual and humorous way. For example, one video shows defender Shaun Pearson surprising the team by bringing his new puppy to practice.
The TikTok channel also heavily incorporates fan engagement into posts. Players frequently respond directly to fans’ comments and questions on the app. Wrexham has also created viral trends like the “sign this player” challenge, where they asked fans to duet videos begging them to sign certain players. According to an analysis piece by The Online Rule, this interactive content has been crucial to forming a strong connection between Wrexham AFC and its supporters.
Viral Moments
The Wrexham AFC TikTok account has had several viral videos that have showcased the club’s personality and brought it lots of new followers. Some of their top viral videos include:
A video titled “You’ve seen him on the TV, now it’s time to see him on the pitch!” that introduced Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds as a co-owner of the club. The video received over 14 million views and 5 million likes (Wrexham Association Football Club).
A video celebrating Wrexham player Paul Mullin breaking the National League goalscoring record with an impressive tap dance routine by the club mascot. This unique video earned over 5 million views and 900,000 likes.
A tour of the club’s Racecourse Ground stadium that gave fans an inside look at the historic venue. The video brought in 3 million views and over 700,000 likes.
Several “meet the team” style videos that introduced Wrexham’s players in a funny and engaging way. These helped the club connect with supporters on a personal level.
Wrexham’s TikTok videos have proven incredibly successful at driving engagement and excitement about the club. Their viral videos regularly attract millions of views and likes, showing how powerful the platform can be for sports teams building their brand and reaching new fans.
TikTok Features and Collaborations
The Wrexham AFC TikTok account has made great use of popular TikTok features like duets and stitches to create engaging content with players and celebrities. Some notable collaborations include duets with star striker Paul Mullin, comedian Elijah Daniel, and even actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Players frequently appear in fun duet and stitch videos on the account. Defender Shaun Pearson participated in the popular “pass the phone” trend, while goalkeeper Mark Howard has joined in on viral dances. These videos allow fans to see the fun-loving personalities of the players.
In addition to duets, the account also uses green screen effects and integrates branding elements in videos. A video wishing Wales luck in the 2022 FIFA World Cup made clever use of a dragon and the Welsh flag.
The TikTok channel has also partnered with brands to promote Wrexham AFC merchandise. One video promoted the club’s away shirt in collaboration with Macron.
By fully utilizing TikTok features and collaborating with players, celebrities and brands, the Wrexham account has created diverse, lively content that engages followers.
Fan Interaction
Wrexham AFC’s TikTok presence has created a significant amount of fan interaction and engagement. Fans frequently comment on videos, with comments often receiving thousands of likes. For example, one 2021 video asking fans to comment with where they are from received over 32,000 comments from fans around the world saying where they were watching from.
Another example is a video where the club asked fans to comment suggestions for improving the stadium. The video received over 5,000 comments from fans providing their input and ideas. The club has also responded to fan comments and taken feedback into account.
The TikTok account has also facilitated meetups and events where fans can gather together. For instance, when Wrexham played away games, the club has organized locations for fans to meetup and watch the matches together. The club promoted these events on TikTok, resulting in large turnouts of fans united through the account.
Overall, TikTok has created a highly engaged fanbase for Wrexham AFC. The interactivity of the platform allows fans to feel directly connected to the club and each other.
Driving Donations and Support
Wrexham AFC’s TikTok presence has been a major driver of donations and support for the club. According to an article on Hudson River Blue, Reynolds and McElhenny pledged to donate $500,000 of any prize money won to the Wrexham community if the team wins promotion 1. The feel-good nature of the content has inspired fans to open their wallets. Wrexham has seen significant increases in merchandise and ticket sales since Reynolds and McElhenny took over the club and began posting on TikTok. Merchandise revenue specifically is estimated to have increased by over 300% 2. In addition, Wrexham tickets routinely sell out, with many fans donating their tickets to less fortunate members of the community when they can’t attend matches themselves.
While specific financial data is not publicly available, it’s clear that the TikTok account has significantly benefited the club by rallying fan support and driving donations, merchandise purchases, and ticket sales. This influx of revenue has provided stability and opportunity that the club lacked previously. The feel-good story of Wrexham’s underdog turnaround, amplified through TikTok, has been an enormous asset.
Impact on the Club
Wrexham AFC’s presence on TikTok has had a significant impact on the club. Since launching their account in 2021, Wrexham has gained over 1.5 million followers, with some videos getting over 10 million views (TikTok, 2021). This online fame has translated to real benefits.
Most notably, TikTok signed a two year sponsorship deal with Wrexham at the start of the 2021/22 season, becoming the club’s first ever shirt sponsor (Wrexham AFC, 2022). This deal brought valuable revenue and exposure for the club. TikTok’s branding features prominently on the team’s jerseys and stadium.
The TikTok fame has also helped attract other sponsors and partners. Companies recognize the marketing potential of associating with one of TikTok’s most popular clubs. Wrexham’s global digital reach expands sponsorship opportunities beyond just local businesses.
Furthermore, the TikTok account has driven donations and merchandise sales for Wrexham. Fans from around the world want to support the underdog team. The feel-good story of Wrexham’s revival resonates widely on TikTok.
In many ways, TikTok has reinvigorated enthusiasm and passion for Wrexham AFC. The influx of new digital fans has strengthened the club both financially and emotionally. Wrexham’s TikTok adventure exemplifies how even lower league teams can leverage social media for far-reaching benefits.
Future Opportunities
In the future, Wrexham AFC has several opportunities to leverage and build upon their newfound TikTok fame. With their meteoric rise on the platform, the club is well positioned to pursue new content formats, collabs, and partnerships.
One opportunity is to start creating more behind-the-scenes and player profile content. Fans crave insider access and enjoy seeing their favorite players’ personalities shine through in fun videos. Collaborating with players to create TikTok content could help drive even more interest and views.
Wrexham could also pursue partnerships with major brands or influencers. Collab videos featuring famous TikTokers visiting the club or interacting with players would generate buzz. There’s also potential for sponsored content, giveaways, or contests. Brand partnerships could provide additional revenue while expanding Wrexham’s reach.
To maintain momentum, it will be critical that Wrexham continues creating fresh, engaging content daily. They’ll need to keep responding to fan comments, encourage user generated content, and stay on top of the latest TikTok trends. Consistency and quality will be key to retaining existing followers while also continuing to draw in new fans.
If Wrexham can leverage these opportunities successfully, their TikTok account has the potential to drive donations, recruit new fans globally, and catalyze ongoing growth and success for this rising club.
Summary
In summary, the Wrexham AFC football club has found tremendous success leveraging TikTok to engage with fans. Their fun-loving content showcases behind-the-scenes footage and player personalities, driving donations, merchandise sales, and global brand awareness. Key elements of their strategy include consistent posting, viral moments like food challenges, collaborations with TikTok stars, and heavy interaction with fans in the comments.
Looking forward, Wrexham is well-positioned to continue growing its TikTok presence and translating that to measurable impacts on the club’s bottom line. Their success demonstrates the power of social media to connect sports teams with younger audiences. For other clubs looking to build their brands, Wrexham provides an excellent case study in digital content strategy and fan engagement done right.
