The Younger Generation Doesn’t Watch Sports As Their Parents Do

Gen Z prefers watching live sports on the go rather than viewing it at home or in a bar… A poll found that 80% of those aged 18-26 will typically watch sports from a mobile device while out and about.

54% of this generation will play games on their phones and almost 40% admit their device is how they access all content.

It also emerged 74% of young adults also get most of their sports content from social media – more than any other generation with 65% of millennials doing this.

Sitting down to watch a full game live could become a rare occurrence as the younger generation of viewers demand short form snappy content, with younger viewers favouring watching highlights (23%) and 17% opting to watch a game after it aired on their own time via catch-up.

Watching live sports in bars could soon be a thing of the past with only 1% of Gen Z watching by going to the bar.

The report reveals that all generations of fans prefer to watch sports at home alone (43% Gen Z, 32% Millennials, 25% Gen X).

There is also a downward trend of engagement for football viewership, with only 29% of Gen Z and 30% of millennials listing football as their preferred sport to watch, vs 39% of Gen X.

The sports they are opting to watch instead are basketball, athletics and soccer.

Virtual elements are hugely important in making the experience more immersive —nearly one-third (29%) of sports fans are more likely to watch a broadcast if graphics and virtual elements are used.