Arsenal tops Premier League Instagram value ranking

Arsenal topped a ranking of Premier League clubs by Instagram earned media value in the first half of 2026, based on analysis by influencer marketing platform Kolsquare.

According to the research, the North London club generated GBP £37,748,895 in earned media value from 9,362 Instagram posts shared by 3,167 creators. It also recorded a 9.3% engagement rate and moved up one place from the same period a year earlier.

Manchester United ranked second with GBP £15.9 million in earned media value, rising six places. The club featured in more than 2,146 pieces of Instagram content created by 796 influencers and content creators.

Manchester City placed third with GBP £11.76 million in earned media value and posted the highest engagement rate among the leading clubs at 9.5%.

Liverpool was fourth with GBP £4.24 million, down three places, while Newcastle United completed the top five with GBP £3.8 million.

The analysis covered 21,994 Instagram posts mentioning Premier League clubs and more than 7,900 influencers and creators during the first six months of 2026. Kolsquare based the top 20 table on earned media value, a metric used to estimate marketing value from interactions including likes, comments and shares.

Wider gap

The figures point to a sharp divide in Instagram attention between a small group of clubs and the rest of the league. Arsenal alone generated nearly GBP £37.7 million, while the combined total for Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City exceeded GBP £65 million.

Several clubs outside the leading group recorded notable moves in the table. Coventry made the biggest gain, rising seven places to 11th after generating almost GBP £1.8 million in earned media value.

Everton climbed three places into the top eight. Nottingham Forest also rose three spots to ninth, while Bournemouth advanced four places.

At the lower end of the ranking, Crystal Palace fell six places, Sunderland dropped eight positions, and Brentford slipped six places to 20th.

Engagement focus

Kolsquare said the strongest results did not simply reflect posting volume. Clubs with highly engaged online communities performed best, particularly those using creator relationships, storytelling and behind-the-scenes content to encourage supporters to interact.

Quentin Bordage, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Kolsquare, commented on the findings.

"Every major tournament creates new football heroes, viral moments and millions of social media conversations. The clubs that succeed afterwards are the ones that know how to keep that attention once the final whistle blows.

"Our data shows the clubs leading on Instagram aren't simply posting more content - they're creating content that fans genuinely want to engage with and share. Strong creator relationships, authentic storytelling and consistent engagement are becoming just as important as performances on the pitch when it comes to building global fan communities.

"As the new Premier League season approaches, digital influence has become another fiercely contested competition. Clubs that successfully connect with supporters online are putting themselves in a stronger position to grow their international audiences, attract commercial partnerships and create value far beyond matchday."