Horizon Group shares findings on how Gen Z engages with sports

The GIST: Prominent U.S. agency Horizon Media is digging into what drives consumers through a series of data-driven reports focused on major cultural trends. Its first one, “Sport-Curious,” dropped on Friday and confirmed what sports biz folks already know: Gen Z viewers aren’t tuning in to sports the same way as other generations, creating a real conundrum for the industry.

• But that doesn’t mean they’re not tuning in at all. In fact, it seems Gen Zers have the potential to be just as avid fans, they just want sports content to be filtered through pop culture icons and featured on social media. Who doesn’t love a good crossover?

The methodology: Horizon Media’s Why Group surveyed 1.1K U.S. adults (including 254 Gen Zers) about their perspectives and behaviors. It then identified themes around the sport-curious trend, like engaging with sports through cultural moments on social media, utilizing streaming services for live sports, and engaging in sports betting. Let’s dive into the numbers.

📱 Eighty-six percent of Gen Zers interact with sports-related content on social, and 49% have discovered a new sport that way.

⚖️ Among Gen Z and Millennials, 40% find women's sports more exciting to watch than men's, compared to about 25% of Gen X and Baby Boomers.

🎮 Six in 10 Zoomers are very interested in content creators on Twitch or YouTube chatting about sports on live streams, and 70% discovered or deepened an interest in sports through fan communities on social.

🎭 Fifty-seven percent of Gen Zers say they are more interested in the cultural moments of sports events than who actually wins or loses. Here for the plot.

The examples: We’ve already seen the power of sport-curious Gen Z fans through tenniscore, the tennis-inspired fashion trend launched by Gen Z icon Zendaya during her Challengers press tour. Another example is Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, the WNBA’s top Instagram influencer who’s notched fan-fueled activations with Hershey’s, Mattel, and even Wicked.

Key takeaways: The sport-curious trend is changing the landscape of traditional sports fandom, allowing those who haven’t engaged in the historically male-dominated space to find new pathways to the game. This shift also allows brands to reach younger fans in exciting ways and build deeper connections, like through their Taylor Swift fandom or TikTok. Oh so popular.