Gen Z is heavily invested in both playing and watching sport, and its participation and viewing habits have been relatively insulated against the worst of the cost of living crisis.
However, barriers to access present a threat to Gen Z consumers’ engagement with sport as declining public facility provision and the live broadcast market’s domination by pay TV are limiting its availability to them.
Gen Z’s prioritisation of its physical and mental health presents sports participation providers with a major opportunity to strengthen its commitment to taking part, while the demographic’s digital native status is set to dramatically change the way professional sport is screened, watched and even played.
This report looks at the following areas:
- How Gen Z plays, watches and follows sport
- The importance of social experiences to Gen Z sport participants and viewers
- Gen Z’s role in the rise of influencer sport
- How Gen Z feels about women’s sport
- What Gen Z’s media preferences mean for the future of live sport
Gen Z loves sport as much as any generation, but its very different playing and watching preferences are changing the game in participation, broadcasting and media.
David Walmsley, Research Analyst
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
Gen Z is comprised of people aged 16-28 in February 2025. This is slightly different from the ONS definition of 15-28 due to consumer research being restricted to internet users aged 16+.
Interest in sport is defined as playing sport (including running, swimming and cycling) on a competitive or non-competitive basis; watching live sport in person or via broadcast coverage; watching highlights or clips of sporting events; and following sport through media channels. This includes watching non-live video content (eg documentaries, YouTube videos etc), reading print and online publications, and following or posting about sport on social media.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for brands to engage with Gen Z through sport
- Sport can beat exercise in supporting Gen Z’s health
- Win at competitive socialising
- Change the game in sports media
- Three sports concepts to appeal to Gen Z
- Market dynamics
- A trend-setting generation…
- Graph 1: population estimates, by generation, 2023
- …with a focus on health and wellbeing
- Graph 2: Gen Z priorities for the 12 months ahead, 2024
- Fewer public places for Gen Z to play
- Graph 3: public leisure centre numbers, 2014-24
- Live sport changes channel to find Gen Z online
- Graph 4: social media platforms used by Gen Z in the last three months, 2024
- What consumers want and why
- Almost all Gen Zs are interested in sport…
- Graph 5: Gen Z interest in sport*, 2025
- …and the large majority are highly engaged with it too
- Graph 6: Gen Z engagement with sport, by method, 2025
- Gen Z plays in traditional ways…
- Graph 7: Gen Z participation in sport, by activity, 2025
- …but is changing the way sport is watched and followed
- Graph 8: Gen Z experience of watching sport, by method, 2025
- …as influencers get in the game…
- Graph 9: Gen Z sporting preferences, professionals or influencers, 2025
- …and event attendance loses appeal
- Graph 10: Gen Z sporting preferences, TV or in person, 2025
- Social sport holds strong appeal
- Gen Z sees sport as a social activity
- Graph 11: Gen Z experience of playing and watching sport with family or friends, 2025
- Sustainable sport is a Gen Z priority
- Graph 12: Gen Z attitudes towards sport, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- YouTube joins the watch-along
- Run clubs offer Gen Z a healthy alternative to the pub
- Advertisers lean in to Gen Z trends
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- About Gen Z
- X > Z (as are Millennials and Boomers)
- Graph 13: population estimates, by generation, 2023
- Managing finances to maximise spending power
- Graph 14: Gen Z employment status, 2025
- Living with parents pays for many
- Fitness first
- Gen Z invests in health and relationships…
- Graph 15: Gen Z top priorities for the next 12 months, 2024
- …and is happy with the last of those at least
- Graph 16: Gen Z satisfaction with personal relationships, 2023
- Pandemic casts a long shadow
- Graph 17: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gen Z, 2023
- Market drivers
- Gen Z spending will outpace economic growth
- Graph 18: expectation of improvement in living standards, by generation, 2025
- Gen Z sport has technology at its centre…
- Graph 19: Gen Z technology ownership, 2024
- …but also offers an escape from digital domination
- Graph 20: Gen Z attitudes towards technology, 2023
- Sport’s major events are big occasions for all
- Graph 21: Gen Z major event watching repertoires, 2024
- Fall in sports facility numbers threatens Gen Z participation
- Make social sport a focus of facilities
- Graph 22: Gen Z incentives to using local sports facilities more often, 2024
- Try an app-based approach to improve discoverability
- Gen Z is a key player in the sports betting market…
- Graph 23: participation in sports betting, by generation, 2024
- …and loves a tip
- Graph 24: Gen Z incentives to gamble with one brand over another, 2024
- Gaming habits are shaping Gen Z’s sports viewing preferences
- Graph 25: Gen Z access to gaming devices, 2024
- Support Gen Z’s health and fitness priorities
- Graph 26: Gen Z satisfaction with physical and mental health, 2023
- Changing media preferences will shift how sport is seen
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Sporting interest
- Almost all Gen Z plays or watches
- Graph 27: Gen Z interest in sport*, 2025
- Sport is a major Gen Z interest
- More spectators than players – but only just
- Graph 28: Gen Z interest in sport*, by activity, 2025
- Most of Gen Z plays and watches
- Graph 29: combinations of Gen Z sporting interests, 2025
- Playing sport
- An active generation
- Graph 30: Gen Z participation in sport, by activity, 2025
- Men mostly take the lead
- Graph 31: Gen Z participation in sport, by activity and gender, 2025
- Basketball bucks the wider trend
- Graph 32: Gen Z participation rates, by sport*, 2024
- Social sport holds strong appeal
- Graph 33: Gen Z participation in sport with family or friends, 2025
- Play and chill pop-ups can elevate social competition
- Players make the connection between sport and health
- Graph 34: Gen Z participation in sport to maintain or improve health and fitness, 2025
- Watching sport
- Gen Z sports viewing turns away from TV
- Live TV no longer the only game in town
- Graph 35: Gen Z experience of watching sport, by method, 2025
- YouTube tunes out TV
- Look for new broadcasting models to keep Gen Z onside
- Graph 36: services used to watch video or TV content in the last three months, 2023
- Step outside the lines to grow female interest
- Graph 37: Gen Z experience of watching sport, by method and gender, 2025
- Women’s sport can win on socials
- Create collective viewing experiences to reach Gen Z crowds
- Graph 38: Gen Z experience of watching sport with family or friends, 2025
- Sports bars for a new generation
- Official status loses value in the Gen Z creator economy…
- …as sports properties lose control of medium and message
- Engagement with sport
- Sport is a core interest for Gen Z
- Graph 39: Gen Z engagement with sport, by method, 2025
- Engagement gender gap is widest in watching
- Graph 40: Gen Z engagement with sport, by method and gender, 2025
- More than three quarters play weekly
- Graph 41: Gen Z frequency of playing sport, 2025
- Regular play keeps pace with viewing
- Graph 42: Gen Z frequency of watching sport/sport content, 2025
- Gen Z engagement is different, not weaker
- Graph 43: Gen Z frequency of engagement with sport*, 2025
- Sporting preferences
- Myth-busting: games beat gaming and long is better than short…
- Graph 44: Gen Z sporting preferences, longer or shorter events, 2025
- Graph 45: Gen Z sporting preferences, sport or esports, 2025
- …but less can be more for women’s sports
- Threat detected: influencers are a growing force
- Graph 46: Gen Z sporting preferences, Premier League or Kings League, 2025
- Graph 47: Gen Z sporting preferences, professionals or influencers, 2025
- Focus on serving established audiences creates room for new rivals
- Screen savers: live is best but events lose their appeal
- Graph 48: Gen Z sporting preferences, TV or in person, 2025
- Graph 49: Gen Z sporting preferences, live or highlights, 2025
- Is there still nothing like being there?
- Old school: men’s football continues to dominate…
- Graph 50: Gen Z sporting preferences, men’s or women’s sport, 2025
- Graph 51: Gen Z sporting preferences, FIFA World Cup or Olympic Games, 2025
- …but female sport is by women and for women
- Attitudes to sport
- Come on you greens!
- Graph 52: Gen Z attitudes towards sport, 2025
- Act sustainably on Gen Z fans’ behalf
- Graph 53: Gen Z prioritisation of environmental sustainability in sports events, 2025
- Bend the rules to get older Gen Zs in the game
- Graph 54: Gen Z support for innovation in sport formats and rules, by age, 2025
- Upscale fashion
- Authentic collabs can freshen up interest
- Graph 55: Gen Z interest in sport-fashion collaborations, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- New properties prioritise Gen Z preferences
- Influencer sport moves up a level
- Athletes turn broadcasters on YouTube
- YouTube builds out the watch-along phenomenon
- Premier League launches VR game
- It’s the taking part that counts
- Gen Z run clubs offer a new night out
- Basketball Taskforce taps in to Gen Z interests
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Gen Z is a key target demographic for advertisers
- Selling sport to Gen Z
- Using sport to sell to Gen Z
- The game is changing for athlete endorsements
- Maher the merrier
- Sports seek wider influence
- Authenticity essential as brand collaborations pass the innovation phase
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
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