Gen Z is discovering new sports and athletes through fan-created content. According to a new study from ACC, nearly half (49%) of Gen Z sports fans say they become interested in a new sport or athlete because of fan-created content or something outside of the sport, like a Netflix documentary, an athlete’s relationship, or a TikTok edit. Meanwhile, 32% support individual athletes over entire teams, while 25% would rather follow an athlete’s personal life and story than watch them compete. The World Cup most recently brought this phenomenon to light, but fandom-driven engagement in sports extends to other events, like the upcoming LA28: nearly two-thirds (65%) of Gen Z said they would watch a Drive to Survive-style documentary following athletes through the Olympic Games. (ACC)
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