Sports has a Gen Z problem. The pandemic may accelerate it.
Excerpt:
Rich Luker is a social psychologist and founder of Luker on Trends, a sports polling outfit that has been measuring fandom and consulting with pro leagues for more than a quarter-century. He has been watching fandom drop among young people for the past decade and sounding alarms.
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Tim Ellis, the NFL's chief marketing officer, says the league's own data bears that out. "There's no strategy for bringing in a 35-year-old fan for the first time. You have to make them a fan by the time they're 18, or you'll lose them forever," he said.
That's why the NFL has been so worried in recent years. When Ellis joined the league two years ago from Activision Blizzard, the popular video game maker, the league had seen its young audience trend downward for six straight years. He stressed to team owners that finding a solution was urgent.
"Gaining and retaining young people is key to future-proofing the NFL," he said in a recent interview. "So when we look at that generation, I personally look at it as the lifeblood and health of the brand and our business."
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Considering the costs associated with attending pro sports games and related merchandise, I would not be shocked if the peak of pro sports has already come and gone. Money is increasingly tight for more and more families, and spending $500+ for a family of four to attend a game are luxuries that many folks will just find something else to do.