Gen Z and Millennials in Europe grew up with direct access to sports games on their phones, as well as endless videos of replays, highlights, or focus on their favorite sports stars. Consumers have always admired athletes from their favorite leagues or teams, but the younger gen are uniquely used to following athletes on social media from a young age, normalizing having access to their lives behind the scenes and more. Altogether, this means athletes are growing in influence outside of their sport, the way 16-year-old Luke Littler became the first dart player to have over 1m followers on Instagram after reaching the finals of the last PDC World Darts Championship. And as more from their own generations are turning into professional athletes, they’re also becoming influencers in their own rights, and this means brands partnering with them have a golden opportunity to reach young Europeans through these idols. Whether a reflection of their favorite team, sport, or which athlete they feel most personally connected to, this generations’ favorites...
- Article
