Lausanne, Switzerland - The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 has set a new digital benchmark, with FIH content generating more than 223 million views across its social media channels throughout the tournament.

The figures underline the growing global reach of hockey and the effectiveness of a content strategy designed not only to engage the existing hockey community, but also to introduce the sport to new audiences.

Instagram and Facebook were the main drivers of overall performance, generating a combined 202.4 million views, reaching 19.4 million accounts and producing 5.8 million interactions.

Facebook alone delivered 91.9 million content views, including 28.6 million three-second video views, and generated 1.2 million interactions.

TikTok continued to stand out for audience engagement. The platform generated 13.2 million views and 1.28 million interactions, resulting in a strong 9.68% engagement rate. YouTube generated 7.03 million views and 48,400 interactions, while X delivered 1.01 million views/impressions and 25,600 interactions.

The figures demonstrate the complementary role of FIH's different digital platforms. While Instagram and Facebook continue to account for the vast majority of overall views, TikTok is proving particularly powerful in terms of audience engagement and interaction.

However, the figures tell only part of the story. Behind this remarkable performance lies a conscious transformation in the way FIH presents and promotes hockey.

At the heart of the coverage was, of course, world-class hockey: the goals, saves, skills, celebrations, results and defining moments that make the sport so compelling. But the storytelling went far beyond what happened on the pitch.

A wide range of original formats, athlete-led stories and host-driven content offered audiences a closer connection with the people and personalities behind the performances. Mascots, Kids Day, fan zones, local culture, behind-the-scenes content and the first-ever FIH Para Hockey World Cup all contributed to a broader and richer narrative, capturing not only the competition itself, but also the energy, diversity and atmosphere surrounding the event.

Commercial and distribution partnerships further expanded this approach, opening new pathways to bring hockey to broader sporting audiences and create additional points of engagement.

Equally important was the collective nature of the storytelling. The World Cup provided a platform for the entire hockey community to contribute to one shared narrative.

National Associations and Continental Federations were involved from the ‘Road to the World Cup’ onwards, supported by ready-to-use content and activation toolkits that enabled them to amplify the tournament across their own channels and communities.

Athletes were another essential part of this strategy. By placing their personalities, emotions, performances and individual social communities at the centre of the storytelling, FIH was able to generate an authentic level of engagement and reach that could not have been achieved through federation channels alone.

But the biggest story is not simply how many people are watching. It is who hockey is reaching. On Instagram alone, 68.3% of all views came from non-followers, meaning that more than two-thirds of World Cup content views were generated by people outside FIH’s existing follower base. This highlights the tournament’s remarkable ability not only to engage existing hockey fans, but also to introduce the sport to new audiences around the world.

The record digital results offer clear lessons for the future of FIH events. The strongest approach combines compelling live match coverage with original storytelling, athlete voices, fan-generated content, local and national activation, as well as integrated commercial and distribution opportunities.

Ultimately, the ambition is not simply to tell people what is happening in hockey. It is to make them feel connected to the sport and part of its story.