How “on-demand fans” are reshaping sports

Stephen Whiteside

The habits and preferences of sports fans are changing, a shift that presents new opportunities for marketers, according to a study by R/GA.

Sports have long been a mainstay of the brand-building playbook – but a new generation of fans are looking for entertainment, cultural connection and value-driven engagement.

These insights were drawn from a poll of approximately 7,000 fans in the US conducted by R/GA. And Tom Morton, the agency’s global chief strategy officer, suggested the idea of sports embraced by this audience is shaped by much more than what happens on the football field, basketball court, baseball diamond or hockey rink.

“Increasingly, the energy around sports comes from the new: New forms of sport, new fans, new pathways into fandom. There’s...

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