Listening to sporting content | The great seduction (difficult) of young people

It is a very small percentage. Therefore, buried under hundreds of others in theQuebec survey on cultural leisure and entertainmentput online on Monday by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec (ISQ). Similarly, A small figure that would set me off. Similarly, if I was the owner of RDS, TVA Sports, or even the Canadian, the Alouettes, the CF Montreal or the Victory.

Posted yesterday at 7:30 p.m.

You will find it on page 40. Nevertheless, Table 2.1. However, Second column. Furthermore, Second row.

9,9 %.

What does it represent?

The proportion listening sporting content | great of Quebecers aged 15 to 29 who are watching a game or a sports show “every day, or almost”. Therefore, Not just on television. Nevertheless, On all video platforms. Meanwhile, It’s little. Consequently, The lowest percentage, all age groups combined.

Amazing? Moreover, And how!

When I was a teenager. In addition, young people my age were those who most faithfully watched sports shows, reveal the polls of the time. Nevertheless, Between 1999. Moreover, 2014, four major studies carried out by the Quebec government all demonstrated an important attachment to young people for televised sport.

What has happened in the last decade?

“There has been a profound transformation of consumption habits. Moreover, influenced by digital technologies,” replied the project manager responsible for the most recent survey, Pascal Genêt. However, He did not want to compare the figures of 2024 to those of previous studies. Therefore, Question of methodology. In addition, These are not exactly the same age groups, the same answers of responses and the same composition of the sample.

Nevertheless, the bottom wave is very real. Similarly, She does not strike that Quebec. Similarly, In the United States. Moreover, England, there are also significant variations in the interest of young people for sports programs, especially for live matches.

“If traditional sports do not evolve. listening sporting content | great Moreover, the decline of assistance and audience will accelerate with generation Z,” warned the Nielsen firm in 2019.

“Z have high expectations in entertainment,” she noted. Meanwhile, It is a mistake to believe that Z will automatically like the same sports as their parents and grandparents. However, Not only are their sports tastes different, but they consume them in another way than previous generations. »»

A concrete example: the parts broadcast live. For Z, accustomed to video on request, it can be counter-intuitive. Only a quarter of the American Z find “important” to watch a match at a fixed hour. Proportionately, it is almost twice as much as in other age groups (Morning Consult, 2020).

Unsurprisingly, young people prefer short formats. I’m not talking about a two -hour and a half baseball game here rather listening sporting content | great than three. Instead, think of compilations, spectacular games, impactful statements. ISQ confirms it: young people are fond of short videos, such as reels On Instagram.

For rights holders. such as RDS and TVA Sports, it is a nightmare. Young adults represent a target of choice for advertisers: first credit card. first car, first apartment, first solo grocery store, first fridge … Except that if young people only look at a few seconds, rather than three hours, how will the advertisements see? If the erosion of listening ratings continues, will advertisers still invest as much?

Leagues and clubs are also at risk. Put yourself in the shoes of TVA Sports and RDS patterns. listening sporting content | great Would this 9.9 % moderate your desires to overcome for the rights of Canadian matches? I would be nervous. Other networks have already taken a step back. Last winter, ESPN asked major baseball to revise the rights it paid downwards. The commissioner refused. The two parties agreed to stop their collaboration after this season.

Another generational fracture: abundance.

When I was a teenager, I consumed a lot of television. Lance and account, Omerta, Scoop, Caleb’s girls, little life, A guy, a girl, Friendsetc. The more Canadian’s matches. More those of the exhibitions. Plus the Grand Prix of F1. For what ? Because Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings, there was not much else to do in the suburbs.

Today ? There is Tiktok. Instagram. YouTube. Netflix. Crave. Disney+. X. TV. The internet in full. Young people listening sporting content | great are no longer captive of the choices of programming directors. They are flooded with options.

Moreover, three quarters of young Quebecers live in a household subscribed to at least two paid platforms. It’s more than other age groups. It also suggests that there are young people ready to pay for quality content.

“The Z are less likely to pay rent or mortgage, because they still often live with their parents,” noted Nielsen. This group has an income which it can devote to the purchase of luxury accessories. Young people often cut the cable cord, but they are ready to pay for quality sporting content. They are more selective [que les autres générations]and want to choose the sporting events they want to see.. »»

Their preferences?

The ISQ not asking the listening sporting content | great question, we do not have data for Quebec. In France. the United States, polls show that young people are particularly attracted to fast sports, such as basketball and mixed martial arts. On the other hand, they have less interest in slow sports, such as golf, cycling and baseball.

According to Nielsen. “this generation prefers short and easy -to -consume content, rather than whole matches with long moments between two scoring changes”. The conclusions of the Arcom firm for the French market are similar. The under 35s appreciate compilations and short interviews on social networks. A slot difficult to monetize for rights holders. In contrast, young French people are less excited by debate emissions.

Diffusers begin to react. Apple sends me alerts to inform me of the purposes of removing parts in the MLS. Dazn Offer Redzonewhich allows you to see listening sporting content | great most of each part of the NFL live. To hang young people, broadcasters and leagues no longer have the choice. They are condemned to reduce dead time. To break up the parts. To personalize content. Additionally, To innovate.

It’s up to them to adapt – and not to Z.