By | YEET MAGAZINE  Updated 0200 GMT (1000 HKT) August 25, 2021

SOCIETY

Millennials and sports, a winning mix for brands and the media

Millennials (15 -34 years old), in addition to being hyper-connected, are addicted to sport. This is what the study of Only Sports & Passions, Kantar and Coca-Cola France reveals. Indeed, whether in practice, in the follow-up of live and non-live events, or even in the "in stadia" experience, they would be in constant search of content to practice more sport. However, they sometimes lack the time to exercise and brands need to motivate them (46% expect requests of this kind).

SPORT, IN THE TOP 3 OF MILLENNIALS' INTERESTS

According to the study, sport is one of the three biggest interests of 15-34 year olds, along with gaming and series (for 31% of them). For those 35 and over, on the other hand, it is travel that interests them the most, before cooking and sport, the latter only obtaining the 3 ^rd.place in their ranking (32%)! In addition, emerging sports are popular (1.5 times more practiced among Millennials than among those over 35). Futsal (indoor football) and Urban are, for example, six times more practiced by this segment of the population than by others. It is therefore necessary to redefine the passion for sport, not only including a subscription to the hall or a race at the stadium but why not, a live TV monitoring, a presence in the stadium as a supporter, or even the consultation of sports media. .

MILLENNIALS IN SEARCH OF LIVED EXPERIENCE

In the way they consume events, Millennials are also very involved in the lived experience, so they are looking for additional content. While 58% of them use applications in sports arenas, 73% of them consider that this use corresponds to social motivations.

SPORT IS ALSO ... SURFING THE NET

The study also highlights the fact that Millennials have a real interest in “direct” approaches, outside institutional or federal sites. Thus, 43% of sports captives follow at least one sports personality on social networks (against 11% for those over 35). And 65% of them take at least one sports-related account, compared to 24% for those 35 and over. This is without counting the use of YouTube. A consumer trend that brands are watching closely in an attempt to create a stronger link with this population.

What to remember from this trend then? That the public, with the use of digital, is looking for a privileged contact with its idols and its various interlocutors and that the communication channels (parallel to institutional and traditional approaches) are no longer the same. “This study has a lot of lessons for brands and for those involved in sport. They must now adapt and integrate the new modes of consumption of Millennials, in search of enriched experiences, to succeed in capturing them in the long term ", explains Nathalie Nénon - Zimmermann, general manager of" Only Sports & Passions, in a statement.

DO MILLENNIALS GO TO STADIUMS?

In line with their tendency to practice emerging sports, the methodology indicates that 15-34 year olds will attend stadiums in a unique way. Many have sat in the stands or in the stands over the past ten years (36% against 25% for those 35 and over), they stand out for their appetite for e-sport and for extreme sports.

Millennials are also “digitally active” in stadiums. 58% for example, will  use applications and connect to websites within sports arenas, if not to do so even while watching a competition. There is then a duality in the opportunities for brands, then faced with a target involved in “in-stadia” and digital experiences. Aim sought by advertisers: to offer digital content to be consumed within these establishments!

MEDIA CAPTURE OF MILLENNIALS: THE SNACK CONTENT PARADIGM?

The proliferation of sports content monitoring media is forcing sports players to adapt to the expectations of 15-34 year olds, the document continues. However, while 29% of them no longer watch live sports on TV but on another device, the overall attention span remains fixed. Snack content then forces brands to integrate into their moments of consumption, in order to intrigue and capture them.

As for the contributions of mobile applications and websites, they allow young people to enrich their experience (for 64% of them) and to have social interactions (58%). A flagship trend in the market which, again, obliges advertisers to increase their presence on the various digital channels in order to offer this target a wide choice of content.

Methodology: Kantar used two distinct samples: 1212 French people considered as “Millennials” (aged 15 to 34), 436 French people aged 35 to 64. The data was collected during the last ten days of June (20/06/2019 to 01/07/2019). Practice: how and what do Millennials practice?