Anyone who follows the world of professional sports can see that the landscape is changing - and rapidly, at that. Audiences like Millennials have come of age and, with that, are wielding their purchasing power. The way that they consume sports is changing, too, with many eschewing cable television for direct-to-consumer offerings and mobile apps.

Yet, while the decline in ratings is creating concern, the reality is that the number of consumers watching hasn’t changed -- it’s their attention spans that have diminished. Here, we look at the modern sports fan to understand their mindset and what matters to them most.

Here are five trends to monitor going forward in the world of sports:

1. Media Disruption is Only Beginning

With media company consolidation, cord-cutting customers, and D2C offerings, the cable TV model is in jeopardy.

2. eSports are the Real Deal

Game publishers are building leagues around their products, brand activations are becoming common, and eSports media is heating up with competition for Twitch.

3. Content is King

Attention spans continue to shorten and the options are endless, making it more difficult to cut through. Subscription models for premium content are proliferating.

4. Sponsorship --> Partnership

Rights-holders are offering flexible sponsorship models to entice brands to work with them. Meanwhile, brands are using activations to increase fan engagement and collect valuable data.

5. Sports and Social Responsiblity

Consumers are willing to do more for brands that do good.

Contact us today to learn how our suite of experiential marketing services can help you reach sports fans of all shapes and sizes.