Half of Sports Fans Across Generations Canceled Streaming Services Due to Weak Personalization, WSC Sports Report Finds

The new comparative cross-generational report maps how Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z watch, follow, and respond to sports content across devices, platforms, and formats

NEW YORK, Dec. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSC Sports, the global leader in AI-powered sports content technology, today released The Generational Fan Playbook: The 2025/6 WSC Sports Fan Study, a generational, comparative analysis of U.S. sports fans that reveals how expectations for relevance and personalization are now shaping sports engagement across all groups. More than half of fans say they have canceled or switched a sports streaming service because the content did not feel relevant to them.

At the same time, fans remain open to adding new services in the coming year, especially Millennials, who combine high subscription depth with strong intent to expand. The data suggests that loyalty is still available to streaming platforms that improve relevance and discovery across generations.

Across generations, fans expect relevant content, simple navigation and clear value. Millennials and Gen Z favor streaming, while Gen X mixes digital and traditional TV. YouTube is the only platform used widely by all groups. Growing demand for interactive and tailored experiences makes relevance a key driver of retention and subscription growth.

Key Findings Per Generation
Gen Z

• Athlete-first mindset. 31% feel more connected to athletes than teams, compared to 27% who feel the opposite.
• Short-form preference. Clips under two minutes now approach live games in stated importance.
• Influenced by creators. More than half say streamers shape how they follow sports.
• High discovery rate. 76% followed a new sport, team, or player in the past year (the most of any generation).

Millennials (Gen Y)

• Daily viewers. Nearly half of Millennials watch sports content every day.
• Loyal and invested. 85% identify as die-hard or regular fans.
• Most subscribed. The highest number of sports streaming subscriptions.
• Strongest purchase intent. 62% say they’re likely to buy tickets or merchandise from personalized content.

Gen X

• Traditional platforms. Smart TVs and live broadcasts remain their primary viewing method.
• Slow short-form uptake. They show the lowest adoption of clips and behind-the-scenes formats.
• Team-based loyalty. Engagement is tied closely to teams and leagues.
• Content saturation. They report meaningful fatigue as sports content spreads across more channels.

“The data shows that generational behavior is now one of the strongest predictors of how fans consume and respond to sports content,” said Daniel Shichman, CEO and co-founder of WSC Sports. “Millennials drive the business impact of sports today, while Gen Z is shaping the long-term direction of engagement.”

Methodology

Survey was conducted in October 2025 among 1,050 U.S. sports fans (350 each from Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z) via SurveyMonkey. Participants were screened for active fandom and completed a quantitative online questionnaire. Results carry a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.

The full findings in The Generational Fan Playbook: The 2025/6 WSC Sports Fan Study are available here.

About WSC Sports
WSC Sports, the pioneer in AI-powered sports content technology, empowers the NBA, ESPN, YouTubeTV, LaLiga, and more than 550 sports organizations to connect with fans through AI-tailored sports content experiences. WSC Sports’ platform automates the creation, management, and distribution of content, enabling rights holders to expand reach, grow fan bases, and unlock new revenue opportunities across platforms.

For more information, visit wsc-sports.com.

Contact Information
Guy Leshno, Communications and PR Manager
guy.leshno@wsc-sports.com
https://wsc-sports.com/

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