Sheffield United or Sheffield Wednesday? Most popular Steel City football club revealed

The Steel City derby is always hotly contested on the pitch, but who wins the battle online?
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Well, sportswear providers Decathlon have discovered whether Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United come out on top on social media – and where each team stands in their respective leagues.

They gathered data on the number of followers football clubs have on different social platforms, covering Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, and Youtube.

Research has shown Sheffield United are the Steel City's most popular club on social media.Research has shown Sheffield United are the Steel City's most popular club on social media.
Research has shown Sheffield United are the Steel City's most popular club on social media.
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And the research found the Blades were the most popular of the Steel City’s teams with 2.3 million followers compared to the Owls’ comparatively small 854,000.

Will Taylor, UK Football Leader from Decathlon, said: “Big signings, successes and the league a club is in clearly helps with their popularity off the pitch.

"With many Premier League footballers becoming huge celebrities and the general interest in celebrities lives, it's easy to see why certain teams grow so much on social media."

Sheffield United benefited from a popularity boost thanks to their two-year spell in the Premier League, which ended last season.

Leeds United were Yorkshire's most popular club on social media.Leeds United were Yorkshire's most popular club on social media.
Leeds United were Yorkshire's most popular club on social media.
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Their following is the fourth highest in the Championship this term behind West Brom, Stoke City and Swansea City.

The Blades are a front-runner on Tiktok and YouTube, however.

Their follower count of 712,000 and 144,000 on each platform respectively eclipsed that of the entire second tier and most Premier League clubs.

Meanwhile, Wednesday are second in the League One table after Sunderland when it comes to social media followers.

The Black Cats boast an impressive 2.9 million followers.

Leeds United are Yorkshire’s most popular football team on social media, with Sheffield United second and the Owls fifth behind Hull City and Middlesbrough.