Dame Laura Kenny is spearheading a major push to connect the Commonwealth Games with younger audiences through social media, as the event undergoes significant changes in its broadcast arrangements. The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, scheduled from 23 July to 2 August, will feature athletes competing across ten sports, but it marks a departure from traditional television coverage in the UK.
A New Era for Games Engagement
The publicly owned BBC has been replaced by TNT Sports as the primary rightsholder for the UK, although the BBC will retain some live coverage. This shift has prompted Kenny, who serves as Team England President, to place social media at the forefront of her strategy to support the team and enhance the Games' delivery.
"When I first took on the presidency role, I said one of the key things that I really wanted involvement in was social media and how we bring it to 'Gen Z' and the younger generations," explained Kenny, a three-time Commonwealth medallist. "My role is how do we get it on social media and bring as much attention to it that way as we can because ultimately, if someone isn't seeing it on the TV, they will see it on their phone because that is the world we are now living in."
Background and Future of the Games
The Glasgow 2026 event comes after Victoria in Australia withdrew due to funding issues, and it follows the recent selection of Ahmedabad to host the 2030 Games, providing more stability for the event's future. Kenny's own journey with major Games began in India at Delhi 2010, and she later became Great Britain's most successful Olympian with five Olympic medals. She returns to Glasgow, where she won gold in 2014, now in a leadership capacity.
Parental Perspective on Social Media
As a mother of three, Kenny is acutely aware of social media's profound impact on younger generations. She is determined to ensure her children see a balanced view of life, rather than a curated, perfect image often portrayed online.
"I was lucky that my career played out before social media was as big as it is. But I was just at the point where it was a thing, so I got a following anyway, and then social media has grown into the beast that it is," she reflected. "It makes me nervous being a parent because social media is so scary, and you can't make mistakes. If you have a bad performance, it is everywhere; if you have an opinion that someone doesn't agree with, it is everywhere, and it is quite a scary world."
Kenny advocates for authenticity on social media, sharing both positive and negative experiences. "I am so open on social media, good or bad, I want to be good and bad because that is what I want my kids to see. I don't want them to see a pretty painted picture of all these houses that look stunning 24/7, that is not life, and we are just bringing up our kids to think they are not good enough, and I don't want that," she added.
Confronting Online Negativity
With 225,000 followers on Instagram, Kenny has experienced the dual nature of social media firsthand. She recently took a stand against cruel internet trolls after receiving negative comments about her posts on breastfeeding.
"I have always been the type of person who thinks you are better off saying what you think and having the ability to apologise, that is my personality. That is what I try and tell my kids, and social media comes with that," she said. "The flip side of this is, if something is horrible on there, it is just someone sat on a computer screen, and if you keep saying to yourself, it is just because they are jealous, it is just because they are bored, you can probably validate it because of that."
Kenny emphasised her motivation for sharing personal experiences. "There were a couple of negative comments when I posted about breastfeeding, and I just thought, I have taken this for too long. I have taken people writing that I am an attention seeker, I am this that and the other, the reason I posted it is to help other people. Because breastfeeding is hard, it hurts, there are so many things that can be awful about it, but you can also get through it. So for someone to turn around and say I was attention seeking, I just thought no, the reason I did it was to help others, I am not having you turn around and comment on there for making me feel bad for trying to help someone else."
As Team England prepares for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Kenny's focus on social media aims to bridge the gap with Gen Z, ensuring the event remains relevant and accessible in an increasingly digital age.
