New Study by Whistle Sports Reveals Gen Z Males are Upending Sports Traditions

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Whistle Sports, one of the top socially engaged sports entertainment media brands and the tenth fastest-growing media company on the 2018 Inc. 500 list, has released new proprietary data about the attitudes and perceptions of sports and sports video content among Gen Z males, with significant implications for sports marketers and content producers. Conducted in partnership with the leading Gen Z and millennial research firm Cassandra, complete findings can be found here.

The cultural tenets specific to Gen Z have led to disruption within numerous industries, and sports is not immune. Broadly, Gen Z values creativity, innovation, skill, and hard work; its members are open minded and progressive. According to the new data published today by Whistle Sports, this trend manifests as an extremely inclusive view of what defines a sport, with a greater emphasis on emerging activities alongside traditional ones.

As the popularity of non-traditional sports continues to grow, these non-traditional sports look to take over an even greater share of audience from traditional sports. A majority of men age 13 to 21 (52%) already spend more time following non-traditional sports than traditional sports - and half of young men say that following new sports takes time away from those they already follow.

The study found:

• 90% of Gen Z males say there are many definitions of sports today
• 56% feel that non-traditional sports are more relevant to their generation than traditional sports
• 76% of Gen Z males think that an activity has to have practiced skills to be considered a sport; in fact, they believe practiced skills are more important to sports than physical activity
• Strikingly, competition is their reward unto itself, with 78% saying it's an important component of a sport versus just 41% who actually need trophies or prizes

If brands want to connect with Gen Z, and see ROI on their marketing investments, it is crucial to understand how young audiences define and consume sports. Key findings on ads and sponsorships in relation to Gen Z attitudes include:

• Most young men are frustrated that traditional sports are overloaded with marketing messages, and they watch highlights (55%) over full games (45%) to avoid ads
• Advertising in sports besides football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer has yet to pass the tipping point where it overwhelms; more than two-thirds of young men (69%) still say brands are a welcome part of non-traditional sports
• A majority (57%) say it is important for companies to sponsor, advertise around, or otherwise support the sports they follow/watch

Brands that advertise around and sponsor non-traditional sports can earn endemic status that results in a lasting relationship between audience and brand. Therefore advertising and sponsoring non-traditional sports can earn an added degree of purchase consideration.

To download the results from the "Changing The Game: How Gen Z is Redefining Sports, Consumption & Sponsorship" study, please visit www.whistlesports.com/insights.

About the Report:                                                                                         
This report was generated through an online quantitative survey fielded from August 7-12, 2018, among young men in the U.S. Whistle & Cassandra interviewed a nationally representative sample (based on age, gender, ethnicity, and region) of 501 13- to 34-year- old young men. In addition, 15 qualitative online interviews were conducted from July 31-August 2, 2018, with 15- to 20-year-old young men for deeper contextual understanding. For the purposes of this study, traditional sports are defined as the "Big 5," including football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer. Non-traditional sports are an activity or competition, aside from the "Big 5," that young people consider to be a sport like competitive gaming, obstacle courses, trick shots, and more.

About Whistle Sports:
Whistle Sports creates, curates and distributes entertainment content that focuses on creativity, humor and skill. As a company born into a collaborative, social and digital world, Whistle Sports  approaches programming though an engagement-first lens to entertain and inspire today's generation.  From scripted shows to user generated content, Whistle Sports collaborates with brands, creators, athletes and tastemakers to produce engaging video content. Join the community and discover Whistle Sports' latest series on YouTube, Facebook Watch, Snapchat, IGTV, and more.

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SOURCE Whistle Sports