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    Quick Hits

    Sports’ Gen Z Problem

    By
    Sep 29, 2020 | 07:42 pm
    UPDATED Sep 29, 2020 | 09:26 pm
    Jimmy Butler
    Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

    America’s youth aren’t identifying as sports fans. A recent survey by Morning Consult found that just 53% of Gen Z respondents — those aged 13-23 — identify as sports fans. That’s down from 69% of millennials and 63% of adults overall. A whopping 39% of Gen Z said they never watch sports.

    The generational divide was most evident when looking at males, in which 58% of Gen Z males are sports fans, compared to 75% of all men. Gen Z did outperform all adults in interest for three of 27 sports: NBA, esports and UFC.

    Gen Z’s relative ambivalence to sports shows why tapping into their consumption habits — like TikTok and mobile-first tendencies — is a key objective moving forward for sports organizations.

    Gen Z Sports Withdrawal:

    • 49% are fans of the NFL (vs 59% of all adults)
    • 47% are fans of the NBA (vs 45%)
    • 35% are fans of esports (vs 19%)
    • 32% are fans of MLB (vs 50%)
    • 29% are fans of UFC (vs 29%)
    • 25% are fans of the NHL (vs 38%)

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