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The sports industry is going through a generational shift. And riding the shift is Generation Z — those aged 13-23.
A recent survey by Morning Consult revealed that Gen Z is much less enthusiastic about sports. Gen Zers tend to identify less than all the other generations as sports fans, which could spell trouble for the sports industry in the long term.
Only 53% of Gen Zers considered themselves sports fans, compared to 69% of millennials and 63% of all adults. The difference comes at a time when consumer viewing habits are changing with streaming services cutting into the sports cable TV arena.
Only 1 in 4 Gen Zers watched live sports at least once a week, compared to 50% of millennials, pointing to the viewership change. Leagues that have been able to move quickly online and meet where Gen Z is congregating have seen success.
Out of the 27 sports surveyed, Gen Zers identified more as fans of the NBA and esports — both of which lean into innovative digital content. NBA stars also partner with esports teams, which furthers both sports’ appeal to digital-first Gen Zers.
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons joined the esports team FaZe Clan as a content creator under the name “FaZe Simmo” in Aug. About 47% Gen Zers call themselves NBA fans. 35% call themselves esports fans — compared to only 19% of adults overall. https://frontofficesports.com/faze-clan-ben-simmons/
The cross section has revealed that using social media and adopting streaming products to deliver live sports has been well received by Gen Z. Maybe the sports industry’s generational crisis might only be a transition, after all.
