Black Twitter Use by the XFL’s St. Louis Battle Hawks to Engage Black Fans (2023)

Undergraduates: Asma Rashid, Taylin Cain, Tyler Layne

Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Harker
Department: Hussman School of Journalism and Media

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The XFL St. Louis Battle Hawks needs to market within the Black community if they want
to engage their audience. Professional Black football players are often marketed as an entertainment commodity with a predominantly white audience speculating on their games and lives. However, targeting and attaining a diverse audience helps humanize the players and fosters a more inclusive fan base. As such, this research set out to evaluate the
ways in which the St. Louis Battle Hawks might utilize Black Twitter in order to obtain a larger Black audience among the St. Louis community.
This social science research project used multiple methods such as qualitative research methods including in-depth interviews and a focus group, as well as a quantitative survey.

Our research suggests that the St.Louis Battle Hawks should target a not only a Black audience but also focus on a Gen-Z audience. Our professional recommendations for our clients, based on this research, includes featuring more Black-focused content on social media, expanding Black representation beyond the team's players, and not using Black players as an entertainment commodity for white consumption.

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