With the World Cup over and football fans already counting down to the new Premier League season, Arsenal has emerged as the champion of another fiercely contested competition – Instagram.
New analysis from influencer marketing platform Kolsquare shows the Gunners generated £37.7 million in Earned Media Value (EMV) on Instagram during the first half of 2026 which is more than double second-placed Manchester United and more than three times the total achieved by Manchester City.
The findings, based on almost 22,000 Instagram posts mentioning Premier League clubs, provide a snapshot of which teams have captured supporters’ attention online as the focus shifts from international football back to the Premier League. As clubs battle to maintain momentum after a summer of global football, social media has become one of the most valuable ways to keep fans engaged between seasons, strengthen brand loyalty and attract commercial partners.
Arsenal topped Kolsquare’s rankings after generating £37,748,895 in EMV from 9,362 Instagram posts shared by 3,167 creators, while achieving an impressive 9.3% engagement rate. The North London club climbed one place compared with the same period last year, underlining its growing influence both on and off the pitch.
Manchester United finished second with £15.9 million in EMV, climbing six places year-on-year thanks to more than 2,146 pieces of Instagram content created by 796 influencers and content creators. The dramatic rise suggests the club continues to command enormous attention online despite fierce competition from rivals.
Manchester City ranked third with £11.76 million in EMV, but recorded the highest engagement rate among the leading clubs at 9.5%. While City generated fewer posts than Arsenal and United, supporters proved exceptionally willing to interact with content featuring the reigning champions.
Liverpool claimed fourth place (dropping three places) with £4.24M million in EMV, while Newcastle United rounded out the top five with £3.8 million, demonstrating that passionate fan communities continue to generate significant online conversations.
The report also highlights several clubs outperforming expectations.
Coventry recorded the biggest climb in the rankings, jumping seven places to eleventh after generating almost £1.8 million in EMV. Everton broke into the top eight after climbing three places, while Nottingham Forest continued their upward trajectory, rising three places to ninth. Bournemouth also enjoyed a strong year, moving up four positions, demonstrating that clubs don’t need the biggest global fanbases to make a major impact online.
At the other end of the table, Crystal Palace fell six places, Sunderland dropped eight positions, and Brentford dropped six to slip to 20th, illustrating just how competitive football’s digital landscape has become.
The research also reveals the widening gap between football’s biggest global brands and the rest of the Premier League. Arsenal alone generated almost £37.7 million in EMV, while the combined total for Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City exceeded £65 million, showing how a handful of clubs dominate conversations across Instagram.
However, Kolsquare says success isn’t simply about publishing more content.
Instead, the strongest-performing clubs are those building highly engaged online communities through authentic storytelling, creator partnerships and behind-the-scenes access that encourages supporters to like, comment and share.
Quentin Bordage, CEO and founder of Kolsquare, said:
“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.”
The research analysed 21,994 Instagram posts mentioning Premier League clubs, created by more than 7,900 influencers and creators between January and June 2026. The top 20 rankings are based on Earned Media Value (EMV), an industry-standard metric that estimates the marketing value generated through engagement, including likes, comments and shares.
