The idea distilled…
In today’s fast-paced world, sports remain a powerhouse for brands targeting younger audiences. Yet, Under-40s (U40s) are diversifying their consumption habits, leaving marketers puzzled on how to connect. How do marketers read the play and win in this new sporting landscape?
If nothing else, four things to fuel your growth…
- Embrace the spread – U40 sports fans have an increasingly diverse taste in Sport, partner wisely with coverage that covers the spread.
- Grow beyond live coverage – U40 sports fans spend 62% of their time with sport beyond the live coverage, presenting a broader array of opportunities as sport becomes increasingly on-demand across the entire week. Seek opportunities across the week that align with your business objectives.
- Tap into the passion and gain an unfair advantage – 59% of Gen Z & Millennials claim to have a strong affinity to brands that support their favourite sports, 69% of fans claim to act on ads within sports content. Double-down on where the fanatics care most.
- Make the connection – New fans equal new opportunities for brands to connect with potential customers. 59% of Gen Z have started following a new sport in the last 2 years, with 2m new sports fans in Australia in total. AFL, Basketball and F1 have gained the most new fans, while Football has had the highest % of new female fans.
Some additional food for thought…
- 72% of u40 sports fans believe ‘sport brings me closer to my friends and family’ and is the #1 ranked motivation for why this valuable cohort embraces sport.
- Within the 2m new sports fans since 2021, 1.1m are female (Roy Morgan, 2024). Additionally 54% of sports fans are interested in consuming more women’s sports, up from 39% in 2021.
- AFL is the most followed sport amongst u40s with 33%, with Basketball a close second with 28%, Football in third position with 26% and Rugby League 25%. Basketball has the highest % of male u40 followers, while AFL has the highest % of female u40 followers.
- AFL also has the highest % of fans that claim it is their favourite sport (17%), with Football second (14%) and Rugby League in third place (12%).
