A new cross-generational study from WSC Sports shows that more than half of US sports fans have cancelled or switched a streaming service because the content felt irrelevant to them, placing personalisation at the centre of subscriber retention strategies.
Published on 3 December, The Generational Fan Playbook: The 2025/6 WSC Sports Fan Study compares viewing habits and expectations across Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X. The findings suggest that relevance, discovery and tailored experiences now determine how fans engage with sports content – and whether they stay subscribed.
Daniel Shichman, CEO and co-founder of WSC Sports, said generational behaviour has become “one of the strongest predictors” of engagement. “Millennials drive the business impact of sports today, while Gen Z is shaping the long-term direction of engagement,” he noted.
Gen Z is the most discovery-oriented cohort, with 76% following a new sport, team or player in the past year. Short clips under two minutes now rank almost as highly as live games in importance, and more than half say online creators shape how they follow sports. The group also shows a pronounced “athlete-first” mindset, with more respondents identifying with individual players than with teams.
Millennials remain the most valuable audience for streaming platforms. Nearly half watch sports content daily, they maintain the highest number of paid sports subscriptions, and 62% say personalised highlight content increases their likelihood of buying tickets or merchandise. However, they also report the highest content fatigue, driven by multi-platform consumption.
Gen X continues to rely on live TV and smart TV viewing, with slower adoption of short-form formats. Their engagement is tied closely to teams and leagues. Yet this group also reports rising fatigue as content spreads across more channels and services.
Across all age groups, the report identifies common expectations: more relevant content, easier navigation and a clearer sense of value. While Millennials and Gen Z lean heavily on streaming services, YouTube remains the only platform widely used across all generations. Interest in personalised and interactive experiences is increasing, suggesting major growth opportunities for platforms that successfully refine relevance and discovery.
The study surveyed 1,050 US sports fans in October 2025, with a margin of error of ±3%.
WSC Sports, an AI-powered sports content technology provider, works with more than 550 sports organisations worldwide, including the NBA and LaLiga.
