SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
PREVIEWINGGENERATION STREAM:SPORTS EDITION
Presented by Disney Ad Sales
Your guide to understanding the evolving sports viewing landscape.
Sports viewing of today’s world has seen major shifts from previous years. In fact, 2020 has recentered sports entirely — from the pandemic, to protests, to political turmoil — sports fans are adapting to the changing times and are shifting their viewing methods. Now, more than ever, sports fans are engaging with games and athletes in new ways and streaming has opened the door for increased accessibility.
Generation Stream: Sports Edition explores the new generation of sports TV viewers to understand their behaviors and motivations and to uncover trends that inform the future of sports, fanship, and consumption.
Here’s a preview of what’s to come for Generation Stream: Sports Edition, but let’s first take a look back at Generation Stream Volume 1.
LOOKING BACK AT GENERATION STREAM VOLUME 1
When Hulu launched in 2008, the promise of getting TV anywhere, anytime, on any device, was considered radical. Cut to today and streaming is now considered the definitive way the world watches, as 90% of Americans 13-to-54 stream video content. Not only has streaming changed the distribution of entertainment, but also the expectations of it.
Launched in 2020, Generation Stream is a foundational study that deep dives into streaming attitudes and motivations, uncovers trends that inform future behaviors and reveals how to connect in meaningful ways with content, brands and advertising. More than just a study on an influential subset of viewers, Generation Stream is our commitment to deeply understanding the power and impact of the streaming movement, and the next generation of TV viewers.
Who is Generation Stream? Generation Stream is a multigenerational group that crosses all age, race, and gender bounds – they’re connected by a common behavior – streaming. They are young, affluent, always connected, content curators, early adopters and driven. They’re also more trendsetting: they are more likely to be open-minded, pop-culture influenced and politically engaged.
To learn more about the first volume of this research, please visit our Generation Stream Volume 1 Hub.
EXPLORING THE TRENDS THAT ARE DEFINING THE FUTURE OF STREAMING TV AND SPORTS
As an extension to Generation Stream Volume 1, we’ve set out to understand the impact of streaming on sports in Generation Stream: Sports Edition. Through extensive trend research, informational interviews with “Culturesetters” and industry experts, as well as a nationally representative survey, we identified four key trends that are reshaping how viewers watch TV and interact with sports.
During the upcoming months, we’ll release six reports. They’ll range from an exploration of how our connection with athletes is evolving, to how sports streamers are identifying with eSports, to a deep dive into how people are extending their sports experience digitally, to a formal segmentation of sports viewers.
Here’s a preview of the four upcoming trend reports:
Trend 1: Sports Unleashed
Now that sports have been untethered from “cords” (i.e. cable), fandom has evolved into a kaleidoscope of bespoke experiences. This has democratized sports–fans can find and experience new, global and niche sports, connect with communities outside of their local hubs, and watch what they want, when and where they want it. But it has also fragmented the sports experience and, in some cases, complicated it.
Trend 2: Complete Athlete
The image of athletes as god-like superheroes is giving way to a more complete picture of who they are: complex human beings who are emotional, social, political and multidimensional. This humanization of athletes marks a shift in sports from scorekeeping to storytelling, ushering in a new generation of more diverse sports fans and a deeper narrative into America’s quintessential pastime. Meet the “Complete Athlete,” who is stepping off of the sidelines to create a more culture-defining game.
Trend 3: Digital Rituals
As the sports experience has shifted (largely) to streaming, rituals around fandom have taken a digital turn. This trend explores the new “rituals” of fans, from virtual tailgates to YouTube sports rivalries and more. Lucky rabbit foot not required!
Trend 4: Outer Rings
Welcome to the underground economies, outsider communities, fantasy leagues, and video game empires being built around–you guessed it–sports. While big games are still center stage, digitally-driven activities and burgeoning communities outside of the ‘main event’ are changing the dynamics of the game and the fabric of sports communities.
LOOKING AHEAD
These key trends are only the tip of the iceberg! Keep an eye out for more Generation Stream: Sports Edition reports in the coming months. As we continue to unveil findings, our aim is for Generation Stream to inform content creators and brands alike to take an insightful and fresh look at the power and promise of Streaming TV.
Source: Generation Stream Volume 1 – Culture Co-op, April 2020
Source: Generation Stream: Sports Edition, Culture Co-op, June 2021
