Is the NFL Popular With Gen Z?

The Strauss-Howe generation theory describes a perceived pattern in humanity in which stereotypes amongst generations recur throughout history in reaction to one another. The free-spirited ‘Greatest Generation’ of the 1920s followed the more uptight ones before them—similarly, the party-seeking Generation X who came after the hard-working and moralistic Baby Boomers.

Both are great examples of the theory in action, but why is there so much scientific analysis of generations? Well, contrary to what clickbait articles online might try and tell you, it’s not so that everyone can take aim at Millennials for eating avocados or lambast Gen Z for watching too much TikTok.

Instead, generational analysis is essential for gauging social matters and politics and predicting business outcomes. If we dig into the research, we can expect the industries and products that will be popular with the coming generations. 

One question currently on the lips of NFL executives and stakeholders in every significant world sport is whether or not Gen Z will love their products just as much as Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers before them.

So, will we see Gen Z eating up wall-to-wall sports coverage, frantically checking their fantasy football line-ups, and obsessively checking the NFL MVP odds like the generations that have come before them? Read on to find out…

Are Gen Z into Sports?

The raw facts don’t look suitable for future sports stakeholders. Gen Z are the least passionate about sports of all the current generations alive, with only 23% of Americans considering themselves as such.

That’s opposed to 42% of millennials, who are the most engaged. Now, just 1 in 4 Gen Z describing themselves as ‘passionate about sports’ doesn’t sound too bad until you start digging down into the data. But before we do that, let’s set the background by looking at millennial sports fans.

Millennials: The Most Valuable Sports Fans

Perhaps no generation has received as much hate as Millennials, both from those who came before and after them. None of that hatred, however, comes from sports executives, all of whom love Millennials! Not just because 42% of them are passionate sports fans but because they buy so much stuff!

TV packages, subscriptions to online magazines like The Athletic, match tickets, sports jerseys, and memorabilia – Millennials buy it all in great quantity. On top of that, they are the most engaged of any generation of sports fans, writing blogs about their favorite teams and talking about them on social media; in short, working as free advertisers.

Now, let’s examine the differences between Millennials and Gen Z to understand why the NFL and other sports leagues aren’t just concerned about dipping numbers.

Gen Z Consume Sport Differently

Typically, Gen Z sports fans don’t sit down to watch an entire game, or regularly travel to see games in person. Instead, they catch highlights packages on YouTube or view the game through clips shared on social media.

This is great for them but bad for the sports themselves because there’s very little revenue to be made from it.

Gen Z Support Athletes

Thus far, we have seen from Gen Z that they are more likely to support and follow particular athletes than teams or franchises. As we know, fans are the lifeblood of the sport. They make the atmospheres that we all love to enjoy and keep franchises’ bank balances in the black through their often deluded dedication.

This step away from the collective to the individual is another worrying sign for NFL executives, but it will also be good for future cult of personality stars.

Gen Z Like Different Sports

Boxing, Basketball, Badminton, eSports, and MMA are the five most popular sports with American Gen Z right now. American football’s omission is glaring, as are other more mainstream sports that you would expect to see on that list.

According to the experts, Gen Z is more likely to engage with sports that they can casually play themselves, and unfortunately, football doesn’t fit into that list. Experts also say that Gen Z shows far more interest in less traditional sports like mud racing and mountain biking.

The Tale of the Tape

It’s not looking good for the NFL when it comes to Gen Z. Fortunately, however, Millennials will be around for another 60 years at least and, in that time, will only become more affluent and, therefore, more profitable to the league.

In the meantime, the NFL and other sports leagues need to learn the lesson of Gen Z and ensure that more is done to make their product more appealing to Gen Alpha.