A Year That Redefined the Narrative
2024 wasn’t just another year in the social media landscape—it was a year of reinvention, where the stories we consumed and the platforms we frequented became an even greater reflection of who we are.
From influencers and sports to music and politics, audiences turned to social to find connection, purpose, and meaning.
Let’s dive into the moments, creators, and strategies that shaped a remarkable year in social video.
CHARTBEAT X TUBULAR
Top 100 Most Engaging Stories on Site & Social in 2024
Joining forces with our partners at Chartbeat, we are able to track the biggest headlines and stories that captured audiences’ attention in 2024. Check out the themes and overarching narratives that ruled social media, as well as the most engaging news articles of the year.
INFLUENCERS
From Tabloids to TikTok: The Evolution of Breakup Scandals
For decades, tabloids and magazines have made major sales off celebrity breakup scandals. It’s a PR stunt as old as time. And yet we’re currently witnessing an evolution in the way audiences digest and interact with high-interest breakups thanks to social media influencers.
In February 2024, an unknown TikToker who goes by @ReesaTeesa posted a 52-part series describing the juicy details of her tumultuous relationship with a con man. The series coined “Who the F* Did I Marry?” went viral and had audiences glued to their phones for hours, savoring each second of her lengthy 10-minute videos.
She gained 3.4M followers in just two months and accumulated 629M views and 41M engagements. At her peak, she earned 94M TikTok views in a single day. What catapulted Reesa Teesa to overnight success was her unprecedented docuseries-style videos.
Could a feud between famous TikTokers be our modern day Angelina Jolie vs. Jennifer Anniston?
While no one will ever be able to top their drama over Brad Pitt, influencers Halley Kate and Sophia La Corte erupted in the summer of 2024 when Sophia revealed details of her brief romantic encounter with the boyfriend of beloved Halley Kate.
In the last week of August alone, Sophia earned over 100M TikTok views. Sophia quickly fell into the villain role with audiences and creators running to Halley’s defense. The social platform was buzzing with user generated content, and many questioned if the entire thing was a publicity stunt.
Sophia La Corte shot back at her critics by creating TikTok soundtracks using their negative remarks and gossip. Those TikTok sounds caught fire and have been used in other creators’ videos over 2,000 times, accumulating 117 million views in the last 6 months of 2024.
Media companies can also ride the wave of viral breakup stories on social.
Country artist, Zach Bryan, and influencer/podcaster Brianna Chickenfry, called it quits. After revealing that Bryan’s team asked Brianna to sign an NDA for $12M, the creator took to social to share her side of the abusive relationship.
Brianna hosts a podcast, BFFs, alongside founder and owner of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy. While Brianna’s breakup tell-all video series drew in its own mass of views and UGC, Portnoy also jumped on the opportunity to win more views (and publicly diss his co-host’s ex).
Portnoy released an official ‘diss track’ on YouTube about Zach Bryan—which earned 650k YouTube views in the month of November.
While Portnoy coming to his co-host’s defense against one of country music’s biggest new stars was admirable, it was also a smart business decision. The media tycoon saw the way social media audiences latch onto breakup dramas and social video series—and Barstool successfully rode the wave.
CELEBRITIES VS. INFLUENCERS
Looking at TikTok engagements per video on coverage of celebrity breakups and influencer breakup stories, it’s clear that audiences are much more engaged with the influencers they know and love.
So, what do influencer breakup series have that celeb scandals don’t? It’s the inside scoop. The up-close-and-personal. The first-hand accounts often involve several popular influencers banding together or feuding against each other.
Media companies and brands should watch for influencers who are going through breakup scandals. Partnering with those creators or even creating videos surrounding those series can fuel viewership and engagement.
Moreover, these breakup scandals tend to increase followers because they are often a series of videos spread out over days, weeks, or months. Creating an engaging series is the best way to gain loyal followers because it creates a reason for a viewer to come back and follow along. Whether it’s “traveling around Asia in 30 days” or “completing the 75 Hard Challenge”, these social series hook people like a suspenseful television show and promote longevity and loyalty.
POLITICS
The U.S. Presidential Race Rolled Out on Social Media
The 2024 U.S. presidential race ignited massive social media discussions, with candidates dominating YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram alike. Here’s a breakdown of the key moments that defined the digital conversation:
The Impact of the First Presidential Debate
Viewership surged following the first U.S. Presidential debate, with YouTube views on Trump increasing by 160% and Biden seeing an even sharper rise of 186% in the same week. This spike, fueled by heated discussions over policy and leadership, reflected widespread public scrutiny of Biden’s ability to secure reelection. The debate led to 250 million YouTube views in the following three weeks, peaking after Biden’s pivotal NATO address on July 9th.
Soon after the debate, Kamala Harris entered the race. Within the first week of her nomination, Harris’s TikTok engagements reached 27 million.
The Abortion Debate Played Out Online
The overturning of Roe v. Wade continued to dominate political discourse in 2024. Social video data revealed a strong leaning towards pro-choice content, with a 10-month average of 25% audience overlap between those watching abortion-related content and those watching pro-choice content, compared to just 9.3% overlap for pro-life content. Moments like February’s protests and June’s legislative battles drove spikes in audience engagement.
Trump Assassination Attempt Captured Global Attention
The media publisher who posted the most YouTube content about the assassination attempt was Sky News Australia. Out of the top ten publishers, seven were Indian and only two were American: CBS News and Forbes Breaking News.
Throughout the entire election, the assassination attempt remained the highest week of viewership for any candidate.
Pop Culture Crossovers Drive Candidate Buzz
Candidates leaned into pop culture platforms to amplify their messages. Trump’s official episode of The Joe Rogan Experience racked up 40 million YouTube views in just four days, while Kamala Harris’s Call Her Daddy interview lit up discussion on TikTok, generating 75 million views from user generated content. These unconventional outlets allowed candidates to connect with younger, more diverse audiences in the lead-up to Election Day.
The 2024 race was a masterclass in how social media amplifies political moments, shaping narratives and engaging millions of viewers in real-time. For a deeper breakdown of this year’s U.S. presidential election, view Tubular & Chartbeat’s Election HQ.
Worldwide Elections Make Global News
Conflict Erupts in Venezuela
When news broke of the political unrest in Venezuela following the presidential election, Tubular data revealed a major spike in UGC from people protesting within the country and speaking out on social media. TikTok engagements with content about Maduro after the election reached over 39M in a single day.
Mexico Makes History by Electing Its First Female President
Mexico was destined to make history regardless of who won this race—because both candidates were female. Across social media, Galvez led with more views, but on TikTok specifically, Sheinbaum led with higher engagement.
The Conflict Between Israel & Palestine on Social Media
Only 3 of the top 10 media publishers with the most engagement on Isreal/Palestine Instagram content were based in the U.S. The publisher earning the most engagement is Narasi Newsroom, an Indonesian-based news company. Interestingly, most of the top global media publishers did not make the list of publishers with the most engagement on Instagram.
The Most Viewed Videos About the Israel & Palestine Conflict on Social Media in 2024
The #1 video was a TikTok posted by The Daily Mail showing a protester in the United States ripping down a Greek flag outside of a Greek restaurant that she mistook for an Israeli flag. The video earned over 60M views and 5M engagements within a month.
The #2 video was a TikTok posted by CNN featuring Trump and Harris speaking about the war which earned 28M views and 1.3M engagements within a month.
SPORTS
2024: Breaking Records & Shaping New Narratives
2024 was a landmark year for sports, where social media played a pivotal role in amplifying global games and offering new viewing experiences for audiences. Here’s a snapshot of the year’s biggest stories:
Women’s Sports Break Records & Take Center Stage
Basketball:
The U.S. Women’s College Basketball National Championship shattered records in April, outpacing the Men’s Championship in views for the first time ever. The game generated over 93.9 million social views within a week, marking a historic moment for women’s sports.
Basketball player Caitlin Clark continued her meteoric rise, with her viewership increasing 160% across social platforms since 2023. Meanwhile, the WNBA Draft showcased its growing appeal, drawing 395 million views in April—an impressive 58% of the 2024 NFL Draft’s viewership.
Soccer:
On TikTok, women’s soccer content averages a 26% higher engagement rate within the first 7 days of publishing than men’s soccer content. Even though women’s soccer/football might be a smaller piece of the viewership pie, we see that women’s soccer audiences tend to be more engaged on social.
Here are the top ten most viewed media publishers for women’s soccer content on TikTok:
NFL’s Social Strategy: Celebrities & Influencers Drive Engagement
This year, the NFL embraced the power of celebrity and influencer culture to expand its reach. The Super Bowl LVIII gained a 7% increase in viewership compared to 2023 and many speculated it could have been driven by Taylor Swift’s attendance, so we looked into the Tubular data to find out.
Looking at Super Bowl content vs. Swift-related Super Bowl content, we found her influence was undeniable, contributing to 17% of YouTube’s overall Super Bowl views and 22% of TikTok’s overall Super Bowl views.
While Swift’s massive influence certainly drove new audiences to the NFL, several social media influencers also contributed to their husband’s or boyfriend’s viewership. The romance between TikTok beauty influencer Alix Earle and NFL player Braxton Berrios turned heads, as Earle’s shared audience with the NFL grew from 15% in September 2023 to 25% by February 2024. The NFL has grown this shared audience by posting videos and photos of the influencer and even inviting her to present at the NFL Honors ceremony.
The Paris Olympics: A Blend of Legacy and Innovation
The 2024 Paris Olympics brought a mix of iconic performances and innovative content strategies. Simone Biles rewrote history, proving once again why she’s a global legend. At 27, her awe-inspiring routines captivated fans, earning her the title of the most decorated American gymnast in history. In the month of August 2024, Simone scored over 1B TikTok views.
Peacock became the #5 cross-platform creator uploading content about the 2024 Olympics. They achieved this in part by partnering with influencers like Alex Cooper from the “Watch with Alex Cooper” show, which combined interviews with fans and celebrities. Cooper’s expansive social reach helped drive viewers to Peacock.
MUSIC
Genre-Bending & Viral Feuds Dominate
2024 will forever be the year country and hip-hop music collided. And the industry’s biggest rappers feuded and created major buzz on social.
Hip-Hop & Country Crossovers Top the Charts
Beyoncé embraced her southern roots with her first country album, announced during a Verizon Super Bowl ad. Pre-released singles Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages sparked a frenzy online, with TikTok uploads about the singer surging 137.8% the next day and amassing 40M views on Texas Hold ‘Em within three days.
Tubular data reveals this crossover is a natural fit: Beyoncé’s YouTube audience is 8.9x more likely to watch country music videos, with 40% overlapping with the genre. Her leap into country is redefining music’s boundaries and thrilling fans across platforms.
Another hip-hop artist, Shaboozey, also leveraged a country crossover to skyrocket to international fame. The week before his release of A Bar Song, he earned 208K YouTube views. The week of June 3rd, when his song dropped, he racked up 9.4M Youtube views. Since its release, the song has driven a total of 164M Youtube views.
Kendrick vs. Drake Feud Drives Viewership
The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake shaped their 2024 narratives, fueling fan debates and driving engagement across platforms. Kendrick had a monumental year on social video, highlighted by the release of Euphoria, which earned 5.5M YouTube views on its first day and contributed to Kendrick’s 47.8M YouTube views during its debut week. Standout tracks Not Like Us and Meet the Grahams contributed 16.3M and 15.1M views, respectively, with Not Like Us becoming his top-performing video of the year with 183M views by November.
While Drake’s viewership remained steady, Kendrick’s spikes showcased the audience’s appetite for his storytelling and artistry. Their rivalry kept fans captivated and elevated both artists in a year where attention was the ultimate currency.
Key Takeaways from 2024—and Beyond
As we close the book on 2024, it’s clear the way we consume content and interact with stories continues to evolve. Authenticity, relatability, and the power of series-based storytelling have reigned supreme, driving views, engagement, and loyalty across platforms. From presidential pop culture collaborations to sports leagues leveraging influencer power, this year has proven the lines between entertainment, politics, and personal narratives are more blurred than ever.
For brands, creators, and media companies, the lessons are clear: lean into human stories, embrace emerging trends, and don’t be afraid to experiment with formats or collaborations. The social video landscape is a playground of possibility—and those who adapt will not only thrive but shape the future of storytelling. Here’s to 2025 and the stories yet to be told.