It has even started to be used by a cross-section of International Olympic Committee (IOC) members.

Now Twitter is looking to take its impact on the sports industry to the next level, and a job advertisement for a head of sports partnerships (North America) gives some insight into the scale of its ambitions.

Noting that Twitter is "changing the way the sports industry connects with its audience, develops its content and measures its success", the organisation says it is looking for a "seasoned leader to shape and drive the next generation of Twitter's impact on this industry".

It goes on: "You will be responsible for devising and executing the strategies that will make Twitter valuable to the talent and team as well as to the operations and strategy of sports television, digital media and events...

"You should have a strong vision for the future potential of Twitter and sports."

It is when outlining "partner scope" that the extent of Twitter's sports ambitions becomes clear.

This scope is said to take in: all athletes, their agents and managers, "including those on Twitter and those yet to be onboarded"; all sports TV networks; all sports leagues; major sports teams; major sports organising bodies "IOC, FIFA etc"; and major digital sports portals and apps.

The individual hired will be responsible for devising a multi-year strategy that drives substantial increases in: "volume and quality of on-air integrations across sports TV networks"; "volume and quality of talent content on Twitter"; and "frequency and engagement level of user behaviour around sports content on Twitter".

This year's FIFA World Cup is one of a number of major sporting events to have sparked significant social media engagement ©AFP/Getty Images



That is understood to mean a substantial increase from, for example, the 672 million tweets said to have been dedicated to the 2014 FIFA World Cup during its month-long duration.

The new person's success will be measured in part by the increase in Twitter activity by athletes and sports partners, "including their volume of content plays, above-baseline follower growth, engagement metrics and log-in frequency".

With a well-backed and resourced United States bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games increasingly expected, the Olympic Movement may itself make a far from negligible contribution to the sort of increased traffic levels envisaged.

It looks like the successful applicant will have the choice of working from a Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York base.