Who To Follow On Twitter For Super Bowl XLVIII: The Best Experts, Athletes And Hashtags For Broncos-Seahawks Game

Tens of millions of Americans will watch Super Bowl XLVIII on television, but the real insiders will be tracking the big game on social media.

Twitter adds another dimension to the day’s typical Super Bowl coverage. Rather than simply watch a bunch of clichéd vignettes and interviews that cover the game’s obvious storylines, one can follow professional athletes, official profile pages, and celebrities to gain a sense of how America is reacting to the action in real time.

Last year’s Super Bowl provided a perfect example of Twitter’s popularity during such a massive sporting event. After the game, Twitter officials revealed that the night’s major events -- such as Beyonce’s highly-anticipated halftime performance and Super Bowl 47’s infamous power outage -- had triggered a record-setting number of posts. According to the report, 24.1 million tweets were sent during that game, a number that will likely be surpassed this Sunday, Feb. 2.

Unsure about who to follow on Twitter before the Super Bowl? IBTimes have you covered with a list of the best celebrity accounts, athletes, media outlets, and hashtags to follow for the Broncos-Seahawks game.

Media Pages

@LRiddickESPN—For a sheer X’s and O’s breakdown of what’s actually happening on the football field, there’s no better person to follow on Twitter than ESPN’s Louis Riddick.

@YahooNoise—Yahoo Fantasy Football writer Brad Evans will assuredly be livetweeting the Super Bowl, and is one of the funniest football pundits on Twitter.

@SBNation will be posting Super Bowl GIFs, videos, and commentary throughout Sunday’s game. If you missed a key play or development, they’ll have you covered about five seconds later.

@Deadspin combines GIFs and videos from the game with real-time, in-depth commentary on the action on the field. They’re certainly worth a follow.

@ClaytonESPN—If there’s an injury or on-field development during the Super Bowl, ESPN’s workhorse reporter John Clayton will have it before anyone else.

@RealSkipBayless—Hate him or love him, Skip Bayless’ unabashed opinions on the Broncos and Seahawks will be some of the best entertainment to be found on Twitter.

@AdamSchefter—See our explanation for following John Clayton. Adam Schefter will be on top of every major development during Super Bowl XLVIII.

@wingoz—Combine the massive stage of Super Bowl XLVIII with ESPN host Trey Wingo’s sheer enthusiasm for the game of football, and you’ll have one of the best Twitter accounts to follow on Sunday.

Athletes

@RoddyWhiteTV—Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has one of the NFL’s sharpest football minds, and he isn’t afraid to be completely honest with his Twitter followers. Sounds like a great Super Bowl follow to us.

@KingCrab15—San Francisco 49ers star Michael Crabtree has an ongoing feud with Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. Will Crabtree take a shot at his rival on Super Bowl Sunday? Follow him on Twitter and find out.

@JabooWins—We hope Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will be watching the game closely on Sunday. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner may be playing in a Super Bowl of his own someday.

@ReggieBush—Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush loves watching football, regardless of whether or not his team is on the field. You can count on him to be active on Twitter during the big game.

@KingJames—What’s a Super Bowl without a tweet from the NBA’s reigning King? Miami Heat star LeBron always chimes in with his opinion during big games.

Other Accounts

@BarstoolBigCat—Barstool Sports’ most popular blogger combines insightful football commentary with hilarious Vines and comments on other aspects of the event. He’ll only be able to watch the Super Bowl if he wins an ongoing weight loss challenge with another Barstool blogger.

@ChrissyTeigen—The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model’s stunning looks are matched only by her hilarious stream-of-consciousness social commentary on Twitter, particularly during major sports events. Oh, and she’s a Seahawks fan.

@SethMeyers—SNL cast member? Check. Sports fan? Check. Hilarious? Double check.

Hashtags

Super Bowl XLVIII’s hashtags should be fairly straightforward—expect terms such as #SuperBowl, #SuperBowl48, #SuperBowl2014, #SuperBowlXLVIII, and #XLVIII to trend on Sunday. Given the sheer volume of tweets that will make use of those hashtags, it’ll be difficult to keep track of them without getting overwhelmed.

Instead, try to find terms that start trending based on how the game unfolds. For example, if an unheralded player, such as Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, makes a big play, his name will trend, and clicking that trending term will provide the Twitterverse’s reaction to what he did.

Also, keep an eye on terms related to each of Super Bowl 48’s contenders—the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. #DENvsSEA, #Broncos, #Seahawks, #DEN, #SEA, and #12thMan will all be trending on Sunday.