Young people’s interest in watching sporting events is waning, threatening a business model built on broadcasting rights.
A YouGov report last year found that just 31 per cent of global sports fans aged 18-24 watched live matches, compared with 75 per cent for those 55 and over. Instead, younger viewers were more likely to watch highlights clips or interact with star athletes via social media, while a large portion engage with their preferred sports through video games.
Explanations for these changing habits vary, from rising ticket and TV subscription costs which have priced younger people out, to a preference for short-form content, or a simple overload of other forms of entertainment that did not exist when older fans got their first taste of live sport.
Whatever the cause, such trends threaten the long-term viability of a business model built on multibillion-dollar live broadcasting deals and have set off alarm bells across the industry.
Are we seeing the beginning of end of a golden era in sports/broadcasting?
A YouGov report last year found that just 31 per cent of global sports fans aged 18-24 watched live matches, compared with 75 per cent for those 55 and over. Instead, younger viewers were more likely to watch highlights clips or interact with star athletes via social media, while a large portion engage with their preferred sports through video games.
Explanations for these changing habits vary, from rising ticket and TV subscription costs which have priced younger people out, to a preference for short-form content, or a simple overload of other forms of entertainment that did not exist when older fans got their first taste of live sport.
Whatever the cause, such trends threaten the long-term viability of a business model built on multibillion-dollar live broadcasting deals and have set off alarm bells across the industry.
Are we seeing the beginning of end of a golden era in sports/broadcasting?
