BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia

oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/118266

[EN] Social media platforms have had a significant impact on the public image of sports in recent years. Through the relational dynamics of the communication on these networks, many users have emerged whose opinions can exert a great deal of influence on public conversation online. This research aims to identify the influential Twitter users during the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships using different variables which, in turn, represent different dimensions of influence (popularity, activity and authority). Mathematical variables of the social network analysis and variables provided by Twitter and Google are compared. As a result, no single variable assessed is sufficient to identify the different kinds of influential Twitter users. Having a certain type of account is not enough to make a user an influencer if they do not engage (actively or passively) in the conversation. Choosing some influencers or others will depend on the objectives pursued.