3 Questions with an SME: State of Athletes

State of Athletes with SME Caroline Puma , Senior Analyst

This series taps into the minds of our 60 Subject Matter Experts at Endeavor Analytics across the globe to explore trends in sports, media, and entertainment.  This is very timely with the news of Jake Paul’s latest brand launch!

How are the younger generations engaged with sports compared to older sports fans? 

The way that younger generations consume sports has shifted. Traditionally, sports were consumed on TV but in the era of technological ubiquity, there are countless ways for consumers to support and follow sports. Perhaps the most significant consumption manner is through social media. Younger generations, in particular, often prefer watching truncated highlights rather than full-match broadcasts, which work well for social engagement. In fact, Gen-Z is +16% more likely to engage with sports related media on social channels compared to the national average. Social media is also a driver of the growing importance of individual athletes. This has resulted in fandom for top athletes swelling far beyond the teams they play for. Take, for instance, the Golden State Warriors, the most followed National Basketball Association (NBA) team on Instagram, having 20M fewer followers than their star player Steph Curry. Furthermore, with the variety of media channels providing fans more opportunities to see and hear from their favorite players, they've developed more authentic connections not just based on their on-field performance.  For example, Travis Kelce’s fame was further increased when he started dating pop icon Taylor Swift. His playful personality and relationship with the music artist raised not only his own awareness and fandom but also that of the KC Chiefs, National Football League (NFL), and his podcast “New Heights.”

There's been a lot of changes in this space over the past few years. Are you seeing any new opportunities this is creating for athletes and brands?

Yes!! Brand partnerships are an integral part of the sports ecosystem and help further an athlete’s success, but the landscape is ever-evolving. Recently, we've seen a rise in brands entering the market in categories that weren't as prevalent historically. On the athlete side, sponsorship deals with personal health and hygiene brands have been growing while sports betting's influence has also increased as it is legalized in more states. There has also been a rise in partnerships with celebrity brands, as sports and pop-culture converge to create collaborations with cross-category appeal. These partnerships draw interest both from followers of a particular sport/team as well as the celebrity/brand; One majorly successful example of this recently has been the SKIMS (Kim Kardashian) partnership with the NBA. Lastly, rather than looking to others for new opportunities, athletes are getting smarter about leveraging their pre-existing fan bases to launch their own brands, such as Conor McGregor x Proper Whiskey and Jake Paul's men body care brand. Thanks to social media and younger generations who are influenced by the “influencer culture,” athletes’ self and brand promotions have become embraced by fans and consumers and will likely be a trend that we will continue to see.

How are athletes using media platforms to strengthen their personal brands and fan engagement?

Today, the lines between athlete and creator are increasingly blurred. Many athletes are very active on social media, not just posting the occasional picture to Instagram but also leveraging short-form video on IG and TikTok to strengthen their personal brands and gain followers particularly from younger audiences, some of which view them as content creators first and athletes second. Athletes are also getting increased exposure from the growing trend in sports docuseries such as Drive to Survive, Full Swing, Break Point, etc. For example, Formula 1 Driver, Daniel Ricciardo was heavily discussed during Season 2 of Drive to Survive. As a result, his Instagram following increased by +223K during the initial release of the season. Lastly, podcasting has become a growing channel, and not just among athletes. According to YouGov, 51.7M U.S. Adults 18+ listen to podcasts multiple times a week, growing +32% in the last two years. More specifically, 30% of those who listen to podcasts at least once a month listen to sports podcasts (29.3M). With millions of Americans tuning into podcasting, athletes are provided a great opportunity to further engage with their fans outside of the sport itself. While there are numerous sports podcasts with known success from current and retired athletes (New Heights, The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, etc.), there is plenty of room for growth as many more athletes are said to soon be joining in on the fun.

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