UNITED STATES – cheerUPDATES celebrates 7 years of connecting every facet of the cheerleading industry this week.  It’s an exciting time to reflect back on the origins of the industry’s largest news & media resource, see how it has evolved over the years, and look forward to what comes next for cheerleading, and for us.  Some call cheerUPDATES the greatest accident there ever was… we are not shy about the fact that it was successful because we found ourselves in the right place, at the right time.  cheerUPDATES filled a void, it filled a need, it quenched a thirst for content and reliable documentation.  cheerUPDATES centralized cheerleading news, and created the standard for how cheerleading could be documented.  In all honesty, there was never a master plan.. cheerUPDATES evolved out of a simple “letting people at home know what was going on with some of the industry’s top teams at a competition” (The MAJORS 2012), into what it has become today.

How familiar are you with the history of cheerUPDATES?  Do you remember what social media was like for cheerleading prior to 2012?  We’ll look back on the last 7 years together to see how an accident sustained and continually grows to meet the needs of the competitive cheerleading industry.

The start of cheerUPDATES | Timeline:

2012

Identity of cheerUPDATES Unknown

  • January 2012 – First competition updates posted from The MAJORS in 2012.
  • January 2012 – Account grows from 0 followers to over 500 followers over 3 hours.
  • January 2012 – Stays in Indianapolis and covers level 5 teams at JamFest Cheer Super Nationals.
  • January 2012 – Account finishes weekend at 1,400 followers.
  • February 2012 – Covers level 5 teams at NCA All Star Nationals from home.  Account grows to 3,500 followers.
  • April 2012 – Covers The HP Field House (formally the Milkhouse) at The 2012 Cheerleading Worlds.
  • April 2012 – Account swells to 11,000 followers.
  • May 2012 – Unknown identity of cheerUPDATES is under scrutiny at the NACCC Conference held in Miami, FL.
  • November 2012 – Adds Instagram to media offering.
  • December 2012 – Reaches 30,000 followers on Twitter.
  • Annual Impressions generated 30 million (estimated)

2013

  • February 2013 – Adds cheerUPDATES2 to offer select coverage of Levels 1-5R content.
  • April 2013 – cheerUPDATES amasses 50,000 followers on Twitter prior to The 2013 Cheerleading World Championships.
  • April 2013 – Complete coverage from Cheerleading Worlds (all venues)

Identity of cheerUPDATES Known

  • May 2013 – Speaks at NACCC Doral, FL Conference
  • September – November 2013 – Covers 8 fall showcases across United States.
  • November 2013 – Grows again to 75,000 followers on Twitter.
  • Annual Impressions generated 125 million (estimated)

2014

  • April 2014 – cheerUPDATES grows to over 100,000 followers on Twitter prior to The 2014 Cheerleading Worlds
  • September – December 2014 – Covers 11 fall showcases across United States & Canada.
  • Annual Impressions generated 390 million (estimated)

2015

  • September – December 2015 – Covers 15 fall showcases across United States & Canada.
  • Annual Impressions generated 700 million (estimated)

2016

  • April 2016 – cheerUPDATES releases App simplifying the Twitter Timeline for the serious cheerleading fans.
  • September – December 2016 – Covers 20 gym fall showcases across United States & Canada.
  • Annual Impressions generated 1 billion (estimated)

2017

  • September – December 2017 – Covers 23 gym’s fall showcases across the United States & Canada.
  • Annual Impressions generated 1.9 billion + (estimated)

2018

  • April 2018 – cheerUPDATES releases full service website prior to The 2018 Cheerleading Worlds.
  • April 2018 – Evolves routine coverage beyond play-by-play to encompass team statistics for every U.S. team at Worlds.
  • September – December 2018 – Covers 26 gym fall showcases across United States & Canada.
  • December 2018 – cheerUPDATES surpasses 1.2 million visits on website released in April from 450,000+ unique users.
  • Annual Impressions generated 2.1 billion (estimated)

2019

In 2019, cheerUPDATES remains committed to creating the most transparent and complete record of all star cheerleading.  We remain committed to growing our offering to meet the ever evolving need and wants of the all star industry.  We remain committed to celebrating the accomplishments of cheerleaders, on an equal playing field as athletes across the world are celebrated.

In conclusion, over the last 7 years we have learned a lot!  But responsibility remains central to what cheerUPDATES is, and more than ever we guard the trust that has been been entrusted to us.