How to Engage With Sports Fans in the Digital Era

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Illustration: VIP+: Adobe Stock

There has never been as much choice for consuming sports-related content than there is today. 

In addition to live sports, news and talk shows being available across TV and streaming services, there are a host of independent online shows and podcasts available for every sport imaginable.  

This is important, as non-TV network consumption of media, as VIP+ first noted in our special report on sports fandom, is only set to grow

VIP+ partnered with consumer insights experts CRG Global to assess how U.S. sports consumption differs between younger and older sports fans. The good news is interest in sports overall remains strong even among Gen Z, but the sports themselves are changing. Soccer is a top 5 sport for younger consumers, just edging out the MLB, with this creating long-term implications for rights deals

In order to reach sports fans as widely as possible, there are four key elements that brands, leagues, teams and players can employ outside of live events. 

Social Media 

The vast majority of fans follow at least one element of the league they like on social. What is interesting to note here is that Gen Zs tend to be slightly less likely to do so than Millennials, indicating they perhaps see social as a means for other forms of entertainment. 

The scale of social is apparent when looking at the number of global subscribers to U.S. leagues across leading platforms. It’s worth noting the NBA has by far the greatest global appeal but trails the NFL considerably for domestic TV viewership. 

Highlights 

VIP+’s groundbreaking research two years ago found most sports fans under 35 preferred to watch highlights versus full games, with this giving rise to companies like Wave Sports + Entertainment (WSE) to create digital-first brands that had rights to highlights. 

Our study with CRG Global shows the extent of sports fans that watch highlights on social media. Taken in conjunction with direct engagement on social platforms, this illustrates how an intelligent highlights strategy will maximize reach and boost fan engagement while also suggesting traditional media formats like ESPN’s “SportsCenter” must find new strategies or be left behind. 

Podcasts 

Podcasts are by now an established entertainment format for many, and sports is no different. Again though, it is clear that Millennials (those aged 27-42) have greater engagement rates than Gen Zs, but half of Gen Z sports fans listen to podcasts about the sports they like. 

In a blueprint for how to use this medium to engage fans, WSE saw tremendous success with its “New Heights With Jason & Travis Kelce” video podcast in 2022, which quickly became the most popular sports podcast on Spotify. In addition to the audio for each episode being distributed via popular podcast platforms, the full video is available on YouTube, with shortform distributed across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts and these driving discovery for the full-length content. 

Gambling 

Sports gambling is another way that fans can engage with sports. VIP+ found with CRG Global that sports betting boosts engagement with televised games, with several sportsbooks now creating content direct to consumers.  

DraftKings has launched a FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus based on its video podcasts. Notably this is not DraftKings first foray into FAST, as it ran sports-themed channels (I.e., “DraftKings College Football” and “DraftKings Baseball”) in season on Sling Freestream until 2022. 

PointsBet has invested in its own studio, where it produces five original shows that focus on analysis and betting advice for sports like the NFL, college football and basketball, soccer, NBA, and MLB, distributing these across social media, YouTube and podcast platforms.  

The reason for doing so is that sports fans who gamble avidly consume content, as relayed to VIP+ by a Bleacher Report rep regarding its B/R Betting brand. Internal Bleacher Report research found that sports bettors are 5x more engaged on the B/R app than non-bettors. 

Conclusion 

With the use of non-traditional entertainment formats set to grow, it is critical for leagues and sport brands to embrace digital media as thoroughly and quickly as possible. The slow response from traditional media has allowed the growth of the likes of WSE and Bleacher Report into online powerhouses. Further tardiness runs the risk of allowing sports and brands that service consumers on their own terms to grow, while those that don’t lose relevance.