The Future of Sports as a Media Business
And how brands can engage the fans in new, exciting ways
Watching sports used to be a simple proposition: watch the game on TV, and chat about it with your friends the next day. But that world is disappearing fast. Today, younger fans are less interested in sitting through a full broadcast and more likely to catch the best moments on social media or YouTube. eMarketer reports that viewers over 50 years old are 50% likely to watch an entire game from start to finish, while viewers under 25 years old are only 30% likely to watch a complete game. For them, sports is an experience stitched together from clips, memes, and live social chatter rather than something that demands their undivided attention.
At the same time, women’s sports are seeing unprecedented growth, fueled by record-breaking viewership, rising sponsorship deals, and a shifting cultural narrative that’s finally giving female athletes the spotlight they deserve. The WNBA just delivered its most-watched season in nearly 25 years, women’s soccer is attracting global audiences and a huge Netflix deal, and newer formats like women’s flag football are gaining traction.
Meanwhile, upstart leagues and alternative sports properties are rewriting the rules of fan engagement, leaning into social-first distribution, digital-native storytelling, and athlete-driven content to build their audiences from the ground up. Whether it’s Major League Pickleball tapping into TikTok virality or LIV Golf leveraging deep-pocketed backers to challenge the PGA’s monopoly, not to mention the various drone racing leagues and the Snow League for winter sports, the professional sports hierarchy is being reshaped in real time.
The result is a more fragmented sports media landscape than ever before — one where the old rules of fan engagement no longer apply. For brands, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity — major leagues still offer massive reach that most consumer brands can resist, but the real value lies in connecting with fans on the platforms and formats they actively engage with.
The Evolving Sports Audience & Fragmented Landscape
The traditional sports audience — older, loyal to broadcast TV, and committed to full-game experiences — is shrinking. In its place, a younger, digitally native audience is emerging. This shift is happening fast. For the first time, more sports are being watched digitally than on traditional TV — a clear signal that the future of sports consumption will be shaped by streaming platforms, social feeds, and direct-to-consumer models.
The major U.S. sports leagues are losing out on younger audiences, who are tuning out or engaging in entirely different ways. Gen Z is reportedly less interested in sports than older generations — only 18% of Gen Z say they go to live sporting events two to four times per year, per a recent Morning Consult survey. While the NFL continues to defy live viewership trends — claiming 72 of the 100 most-watched U.S. broadcasts in 2024 — other leagues are struggling to keep younger fans engaged. The NBA, NHL, and MLB face an abundance problem, where regular-season games feel increasingly meaningless. Even marquee events like the MLB’s Yankees-Dodgers World Series matchup, which averaged 15.2 million viewers, are losing the casual audience that once made them All-American cultural touchstones. Yet, aside from baseball, most major leagues have struggled to maintain interest in their respective All-Star games.
At the same time, the streaming revolution has fundamentally reshaped how fans consume live sports. Nearly two-thirds of sports content is now streamed, and while the move to digital platforms has opened up new revenue streams, it has also fractured the viewing experience. Netflix’s foray into live sports — most recently with its Christmas Day NFL games, aka the Beyoncé Bowl — has proven that streaming services can generate big ratings. Similarly, Amazon’s 2024 Black Friday NFL Game, which drew 13.5 million viewers, and Tubi’s free 4K Super Bowl stream show that digital platforms are more than capable of handling major live events. However, the streaming era has also introduced new pain points: ad repetition is frustrating fans, and without a unified distribution model, watching a single sport often requires juggling multiple subscriptions. All these frictions, in turn, are pushing more younger audiences to tune out or watch highlight clips elsewhere.
The fragmentation of sports media is pushing the industry into uncharted territory. For decades, the traditional cable bundle ensured that sports remained accessible to a broad audience, subsidized by non-sports fans paying for ESPN and regional sports networks whether they watched or not. That model is collapsing. The rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) services has made it more expensive than ever for fans to follow their favorite teams, and the burden is particularly heavy on casual viewers who don’t want to commit to multiple subscriptions. The result is a paradox: while leagues are making more money than ever by selling rights to the highest bidder, they are also losing casual, curious, and young fans in the process.
All of this points to a broader restructuring of the sports industry, where the NFL continues to stand alone as a true mass-market product, while every other league increasingly operates in a niche economy. The incentives are clear: leagues maximize short-term revenue by prioritizing media rights deals over long-term fan engagement.
Another notable way that leagues and broadcasters are responding to this trend is to lean into new technologies and reimagine live sports, blending digital experiences with physical spectacle. Immersive hybrid viewing options, such as the Cosm x NBA collaboration, promise to make watching a game feel more like attending one, even for those at a high-tech sports bar. Apple Vision Pro’s integration with MLS and Formula 1 is an early sign that immersive content formats will play a bigger role in at-home sports viewing. This shift signals a new reality: the real money isn’t just in broadcasting games — it’s in selling an experience that extends well beyond the final whistle.
As media analyst Ben Thompson pointed out, the real value in sports today is captured through ancillary content — podcasts, social media, and streaming-adjacent experiences that keep fans engaged between actual games. Rather than trying to chase the NFL’s dominance, most leagues are pivoting to capturing the cultural conversation around sports, even if it means fewer people are actually watching the games themselves. The future of sports isn’t just about who wins on the field — it’s about who owns the discourse that happens afterward.
The Rise of Women’s Sports
The growth of women’s sports is one of the most significant shifts in the modern sports industry, driven by rising viewership, increased investment, and a cultural shift toward gender parity in athletics. Once relegated to the margins, women’s leagues are now commanding mainstream attention, and the numbers back it up.
The WNBA just had its most-watched season in 24 years, with viewership up 29% and merchandise sales soaring 62%. Sponsorships have climbed 15% YoY, fueled by brands like Ally Financial backing equal-pay initiatives. This momentum underscores the market potential and cultural significance of women’s sports, forcing leagues and brands to take notice. In January, Unrivaled, a new three-on-three professional women’s basketball league backed by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, former ESPN president John Skipper and Ashton Kutcher, among others, made its broadcast debut on TNT and streamed on Max.
Also booming is women’s soccer, driven by major tournaments, media deals, and growing fan investment. Netflix’s multimillion-dollar deal for the U.S. streaming rights of Women’s World Cup events are sure to bring in more audiences for the sports. In the U.S., NWSL attendance is rising, with expansion teams drawing major investment and cities vying for franchises.
Beyond the established sports, emerging women’s sports are gaining traction. Flag football is now a legitimate college sport, while sports like rugby sevens and lacrosse, especially in mixed-gender formats, are attracting Gen Z audiences. As digital-first leagues grow, expect new sports to develop faster, fueled by online platforms.
Consumer expectations are also shifting. A 2023 survey found 74% of sports fans believe brands should sponsor men’s and women’s sports equally, highlighting demand for investment parity. Once an afterthought, women’s sports are now a smart business decision for brands. Early investors will gain first-mover advantages, while latecomers risk missing out on a rapidly expanding market.
For brands, investing in women’s sports is both a cultural and financial play. As funding increases, these leagues will only become more valuable. Early adopters will build brand loyalty and credibility, while those who wait will find it harder to buy in. The Super Bowl spots from Nike’s and Dove this year already proved that some brands are already leading the charge. Women’s sports are poised for one of the biggest market expansions in decades — and brands that move now will reap the biggest rewards.
Creator-Led, Alternative Sports Continue to Grow
Gen Z has long been obsessed with influencers, who are increasingly crossing over into athletes, just as professional athletes are turning into influencers and content creators too. A Morning Consult survey found 19% U.S. adults say they’ve made a food and beverage purchase in the past six months because of a professional athlete’s endorsement. The impact of athlete endorsements is expanding into unexpected categories, including beauty and personal care. One in five Gen Z adults (20%) say they’ve purchased a beauty product in the past six months because of an athlete’s influence — a figure likely to grow as women’s sports gain momentum.
The impact of athlete endorsements is expanding into unexpected categories, including beauty and personal care. One in five Gen Z adults (20%) say they’ve purchased a beauty product in the past six months because of an athlete’s influence — a figure likely to grow as women’s sports gain momentum. Brands like e.l.f. Cosmetics, and Glossier have capitalized on this shift by becoming early sponsors of women’s sports leagues and female athletes. Their success proves that marketing rooted in sports culture and fandom can resonate far beyond the traditional sports audience.
Influencer-led sports have evolved from a novelty into a legitimate force in the sports industry, driven by a growing appetite for creator-led competitions that prioritize entertainment, accessibility, and direct fan engagement. While boxing remains the most prominent example — thanks to high-profile fights featuring YouTubers like Jake Paul and KSI — other sports are now following a similar blueprint. The rise of The Baller League, a new take on professional basketball that leans heavily on social media-driven storytelling, and the rapid viewership growth of the Kings League, a seven-a-side soccer league founded by former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué, highlight how creator-led sports leagues are drawing younger, digital-native audiences who crave both live action and viral moments.
Lastly, the rise of emerging sports leagues like the Pro Pickleball Association, Drone Racing League, LIV Golf, and the Snow League for winter sports underscores this shift. These leagues are technology-led, globally accessible, and designed for the modern sports fan. Pickleball’s explosive growth has led to professional leagues attracting major investors, while drone racing blends eSports with real-world competition, making it a hit among younger audiences. Even LIV Golf, despite its controversy, is proving that breaking from tradition can spark new interest and disrupt established hierarchies.
The future of sports belongs to the leagues that embrace adaptability, digital-first engagement, and fandom engagement. Traditional sports will always have their place, of course, but the real innovation is happening in spaces where sports meet entertainment, tech, and social media culture. Whether it’s creator-driven leagues, emerging sports properties, or AI-enhanced competition, the biggest winners will be those that recognize fans don’t just want to watch — they want to participate, interact, and feel part of the action.
