Seventy-seven percent of Gen Z and 75 percent of Millennials said they prefer to watch sports outside of venues, compared to 53 percent of Baby Boomers and 32 percent above 70 years old, according to Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report “A Whole New Ball Game: Why Sports Tech Is A Game Changer.”
The report is based on a quantitative survey of 12,000 sports fans over the age of 18 across 11 countries, in March and April 2023 from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the U.S.
The report found that while the excitement of attending live events remained a strong for large global competitions such as the Olympics, or World championships, this might not be the case for local and regular league games. This shift in fan preference is translating into reduced visits to sports events.
In Capgemini’s previous research from 2019, 47 percent of fans globally visited sporting grounds often, but this has fallen to 34 percent today, with a significant generation gap again: 49 percent of fans above 70 still visit the venue often, versus only 17 percent of Gen Z. This swing is most significant in Australia and the UK, where half as many people currently watch sports in-person often compared to 20192, while France and Germany have seen the smallest decline, less than 5 percentage points. In fact, only 37 percent of fans globally have visited a venue in the past 12 months, compared to 80 percent in 2019.
The channels and devices through which fans are watching sports events have also shifted. Mobile devices have risen to the fore, although overall, fans still prefer TV for watching games, suggesting that smart devices provide a supplementary option for consuming sport, on-the-go, or “multi-screening.”
In 2019, only 40 percent of fans picked smartphone screens as a preferred device to watch games, versus 70 percent today, in particular, 78 percent of Gen Z and 74 percent of Millennials. Streaming platforms as well as social media have also seen a boost in viewing significance: in 2019, just 39 percent of fans mentioned streaming platforms as a preferred option for watching sports. This has nearly doubled to 75 percent today. For social media, that has jumped from 44 percent in 2019 to 64 percent today, driven by younger generations.
According to the report, fans value their smartphone as a companion to enhance the viewing experiences, whether at home or at the venue. Over two-thirds, 68 percent of fans have used a mobile device to receive regular game/player information while watching the game live, and 65 percent for 360-degree video replays. Sixty-eight percent of fans would also like to try using their mobile device to get player information, live stats, etc. by pointing at players while present at the venue, using augmented reality. Finally, fans would also be interested in enhanced sports experiences such as in the metaverse. Two-thirds of themwould be interested in purchasing digital merchandise to wear in virtual worlds, 66 percent, or attending games and socializing virtually with fans or players in a virtual sports venue, 64 percent.
“In the last few years, the ways in which we’re able to consume sport have completely transformed,” said Pascal Brier, chief innovation officer at Capgemini and member of the Group Executive Committee, in a statement. “Technology is granting a greater level of immersion and interactivity with the game, even if we’re viewing it from thousands of miles away. This provides sports businesses with the potential to reach the next generation of global fans in new, innovative, and exciting ways. However, our research also indicates that technological advancements around the in-stadium experience have not kept pace. The next stage of the digital transformation of sport is to similarly revolutionize how we view sport in-person.”
The report also found that besides the growing prominence of technology in sports in the last few years, there is a growing interest in watching women’s games and sustainability amongst sports fans. Two-thirds of respondents are interested in watching more women’s games for the sports they follow, and would also like to see equal opportunities and resources offered to women players. For certain sports, such as swimming, basketball, tennis, and parasports, the viewing figures for men’s and women’s games are similar, with many viewers choosing to watch both. The report found a significant rise in the number of viewers choosing to watch both men’s and women’s games for sports such as basketball (+34 percent), baseball (+20 percent), and American football (+28 percent), compared to 2019. In tennis, the report found a 10 percent rise in viewership for women-only games.
Across countries and age groups, 67 percent of fans noted feeling disappointed that the teams/players they follow are insufficiently prioritizing environmental sustainability. And over three-fourths of them said that good technology-enhanced outside-venue experiences would encourage them to consume sports in this way more often to curtail their carbon footprint and increase sustainability.
To read the full report, go here.
