Matt Stagg explains how to make sports content that appeals to Gen Z
Almost every month, there’s another headline sounding the alarm: “Gen Z are switching off sports”, “Younger fans aren’t watching matches”. Predictably, the blame game begins. It’s TikTok’s fault, it’s gaming culture, or the convenient myth of short attention spans.
This usually results in broadcasters cutting matches into smaller clips or imitating social media trends, believing they’ve fixed the issue.
They haven’t.
The real problem isn’t Gen Z—it’s the broadcasters themselves.
Younger audiences haven’t lost interest in sport, they’ve simply changed how they engage with it. If broadcasters are losing them, it’s because they haven’t adapted to how Gen Z consumes, engages with, and connects to sports today.
Let’s dismantle the biggest misconception: the so-called short attention span of Gen Z. This notion isn’t just incorrect, it’s misleading.
Gen Z binge-watch Netflix series, spend hours immersed in gaming streams, and passionately follow content creators. Clearly, attention isn’t the issue – it’s selective, purposeful engagement.
The idea that Gen Z can’t focus on anything for long is simply outdated. What’s actually happening is that they are ruthless in filtering out content that doesn’t resonate.
They engage deeply when something grabs their interest, but they have no patience for content that feels generic or irrelevant. This means sports broadcasters need to move beyond just showing the game—they need to build immersive, interactive experiences around it.
Broadcasters need to shift their mindset. Gen Z doesn’t reject content because it’s long, they reject content that feels irrelevant or doesn’t resonate.
Sports broadcasting needs to be on-demand, customisable, and interactive, aligning with how younger audiences already consume content.
What Gen Z Actually Wants from Sport
• Personalisation: Content tailored to their preferences and interests.
• Active Participation: Real-time interaction, shared experiences, and the ability to influence aspects of the broadcast.
• Authenticity: Relatable voices from creators, influencers, and athletes they genuinely connect with.
Gone are the days of ‘one-size-fits-all’ broadcasting.
Gen Z expects a viewing experience that is shaped around them—not something they have to adjust to.
They want their favourite teams, athletes, and storylines served to them seamlessly, across platforms, and in formats that align with their daily habits.
Simply cutting matches into short clips won’t bridge the gap.
To engage Gen Z, sports broadcasts need to feel personal, interactive, and community-driven.
Broadcasters often assume younger audiences will naturally grow into traditional viewing habits over time.
But Gen Z is already deeply passionate about sports, they’re just consuming it differently. They follow highlights, engage in fan-led analysis, and participate in sports conversations across multiple digital platforms rather than watching scheduled TV programming.
Broadcasters must realise that today’s sports fans don’t just watch games, they engage in a constant cycle of pre-game build-up, live reactions, and post-match discussions across multiple platforms.
This ongoing conversation is where younger fans are most engaged, yet traditional broadcasts still operate in isolation, missing out on these key engagement opportunities.
Sports broadcasting needs to evolve into something younger audiences want to engage with, not something they’re expected to conform to.
Esports has mastered audience engagement by making the viewing experience interactive and community-driven. Viewers don’t just watch; they contribute, chat, and influence the content. The esports model has proven that fans are no longer passive viewers, they’re active participants.
The esports world has proven that live sports can be more than just a game—it can be an event where fans are active participants.
They contribute through live chats, co-streaming, and digital interactions, creating a sense of community that traditional broadcasts lack. This sense of involvement is something sports broadcasters need to embrace if they want to stay relevant.
Traditional sports broadcasters can learn from this by incorporating interactive elements such as fan-driven commentary, real-time voting, and content that adapts to viewer engagement.
Rather than diluting content, broadcasters should be thinking about how to make it richer. Exclusive player insights, behind-the-scenes content, and deeper storytelling can all enhance engagement. A smarter approach isn’t about cutting things down—it’s about adding the right things in.
The best way for broadcasters to capture Gen Z’s attention is not by imitating existing digital trends, but by creating new ones that fit naturally into the way young fans consume content. Sports has the power to set the cultural agenda, and the industry should be leading, not following.
Broadcasters who make bold, meaningful changes now won’t just reconnect with younger fans—they’ll define the next era of sports media.
Final Note (and Thanks)
A special thanks to my teenage boys, Felix, Dexter, and Arthur. Your constant feedback, brutally honest opinions, and expert-level eye-rolls whenever I get it wrong gave me real insight into what Gen Z actually values. Without you, this would have just been another article by a middle-aged bloke pretending to know what younger audiences want. Cheers, lads—you keep me sharp.
Matt Stagg is a sport, media and entertainment technology specialist
No comments yet