• by Wayne Friedman , October 30, 2023

An increase in digital multitasking behavior from the next generation of younger, live sports TV fans means they will need more short-duration, sports-related content to maintain interest.

Nearly 80% of industry executives believe there will be a need to expand sports content beyond live sports broadcasts and airings, according to a survey of 150 executives, from a report by Altman Solon.

Another 74% believe live sports content will be infused with other media experiences -- such as better statistics and/or new immersive features.

Other features could include more personalized content (72%), fan loyalty features (53%, fan-generated content (50%) and bundling of related formats such as gaming, podcasts and news (48%).

As for the growth in digital-media multitasking behavior, 57% of consumers (2,500 in this survey) say they regularly browse the internet, while 50% say they use social media, 43% message people and 31% order food.

In particular, younger live sports viewers will demand even more as their multitasking behaviors are projected to escalate.

“Younger cohorts average 1.5 times more hours online compared to older generations, underscoring the imperative for sports media to provide multiplatform content experiences,” the authors of the report say.

This comes as costly sports fees for TV networks and streaming platforms continue to rise.

For example, currently a new round of NBA sports rights negotiations is scheduled to start with TV incumbents ESPN and Turner networks looking to make aggressive proposals, in order to combat growing competition from Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and retain the big sports property. 

Sports fees for the NBA are projected to break new records.