Key Takeaways
- Only 20% of Gen Z adults identify as avid sports fans compared to 33% of Millennials, with one-third not following sports at all
- Social media (53%) and streaming services (38%) lead where Gen Z consumes sports content, replacing traditional TV and newspapers
- NBA brings 200+ creators with 1 billion collective followers to All-Star weekend, using AI-powered platforms to identify partnership targets
- NHL’s Power Players youth advisory board spans ages 13-17 from Nova Scotia to Hawaii, meeting twice monthly to guide league strategy
- MLB invests heavily in youth participation programs and partnerships with platforms like ABCmouse and Roblox’s Olympic World
The Generational Sports Fan Gap Widens
Sports leagues face a measurable engagement problem with younger audiences. According to Morning Consult polling data, avid sports fandom among Gen Z adults sits at 20%, significantly below the 33% rate for Millennials and 27% for Generation X.
The decline isn’t just about shifting preferences. One-third of Gen Z respondents reported not following sports at all, creating an existential challenge for organizations built on cultivating lifelong fans.
The consumption gap is equally dramatic. Trevor McOmber watched Chicago Blackhawks games on TV, caught ESPN highlights, and read newspaper coverage as a teenager. His 14-year-old son Tye takes a different approach: “I go to YouTube with Snapchat, or Google something if I just have an idea that I want to know.”
Social-First Strategies Replace Traditional Media
Major leagues are rebuilding their content strategies around where Gen Z actually spends time. Social media dominates at 53% for sports content consumption among Gen Z, followed by streaming services at 38%.
“Something that we might have done two or three years ago to capture this audience is changing based on how they consume, the way they consume, the way that content is packaged to them as well,” said Uzma Rawn Dowler, chief marketing officer for Major League Baseball. “And so we’re always constantly keeping up with the trends and of how we can continue to resonate with this audience in the right way.”
The NBA’s All-Star weekend strategy illustrates the scale of this shift. The league hosted over 200 creators with a collective footprint exceeding 1 billion followers for programming, live broadcasts, and fan experiences.
Bob Carney, senior vice president for digital and social content at the NBA, explained the league uses AI-powered social media measurement platforms to identify potential creator partners. “Once the technology flags someone, our team still evaluates their creativity, authenticity, tone and how naturally they fit into basketball culture,” Carney said.
Youth Participation Becomes Lead Generation
Sports organizations are treating youth participation as a customer acquisition channel. MLB has invested heavily in youth baseball and softball programs with explicit fan development goals.
“We’re trying to fish where the fish are, quite honestly,” Dowler said, describing partnerships with platforms like ABCmouse for baseball-themed learning activities.
The NHL’s Power Players program creates a formalized youth advisory structure. Approximately 25 members ages 13-17 participate in two virtual meetings monthly, advising on marketing, content, technology, social media, creators, and fan engagement.
Heidi Browning, NHL chief marketing officer, attends every meeting. “They’re not just younger versions of our previous fans,” Browning said. “They’re actually consuming and connecting and engaging differently than the generations that are older than they are.”
The program spans geographic diversity, including members from Nova Scotia to Hawaii, intentionally reaching beyond traditional hockey markets.
Cultural Relevance Through Adjacent Content
Leagues are pursuing fans through non-sports entry points. MLB partners with influencers in food and fashion to reach “casual perspective fans” and bring them into baseball “through the side door,” according to Dowler.
The NBA experiments with generative AI to create specialized content, including animation for younger audiences that wasn’t previously cost-effective. The league maintains specific creative standards: “On our league-run social channels, we are very deliberate about keeping the content grounded in the same native tools and formats that fans and creators themselves use,” Carney said.
Gaming partnerships provide another access point. The International Olympic Committee created Olympic World on Roblox in 2024. LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani appear in Fortnite.
Measuring What Actually Changes Behavior
The challenge extends beyond identifying trends to understanding shifting patterns over time. The NHL periodically revisits insights from its youth advisory board to track how attitudes and behaviors evolve.
Mark Beal, a communication professor at Rutgers University, uses a Zamboni image in presentations on Gen Z and Gen Alpha. “That is a Gen Z dream right there,” he says, describing how a Gen Z person operating the ice resurfacer would immediately live-stream, shoot, and post content to TikTok.
The generation’s media consumption is “unprecedented,” according to Beal, with the primary challenge being finding those eyes and staying visible, particularly among casual fans more interested in celebrity content than game highlights.
via: By JAY COHEN – AP Sports Writer
image: John W. McDonough / Sports Illustrated / Getty Images
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