Watch: Gen Z sports roundtable

Marketers are drawing up new game plans to engage Gen Z through sports. Though sometimes thought to be less inclined to participate in sports fandom in general, people who were born between 1997 and 2012 consume sports differently than older groups. Gen Zers are less likely to sit through a televised game, for example, and tend to care less for teams than the individuals who play for them. They do, however, care a lot more about women in sports than their parents did. Organizations today are pursuing sports fans through adjacent interests such as music and fashion, framing sports not as a contest but as entertainment and getting the action into the places where Gen Z will see it. Social media has brought Gen Zers closer than ever to athletes and their interest in players’ likes and habits off the field are making brands take notice. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs On July 31 at 12:30 p.m. ET, Ad Age hosted a roundtable with members of Gen Z to talk about where the momentum around sports is building, which athletes are capturing their attention and how brands can best show up in the sports arena to engage with this cohort. Panelists included Amanda Hajjar, senior director of social strategy for Just Women’s Sports; Lucy Murrey, content and communications strategist for National Research Group; and Sheridan Wilbur, digital editor for the Olympics at Warner Bros. Discovery. Follow the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and X. This virtual roundtable is part of Ad Age Gen Z Voices; subscribe to Ad Age to get the latest perspectives. 40 under 40 entries are open The final deadline for nominations is Aug. 2 Enter here

Watch: Gen Z roundtable on sports

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