Why Gen Z is Changing the Game for Brands through Sports Tourism

What makes sports tourism a trend to pay attention to now?

Shanti: Sports tourism is a trend we’ve been tracking since 2018, but one that’s really picked up in the last 24 months. According to American Express, 67% of Gen Zers and millennials are interested in travelling for sporting events in 2024, with a study by Bread Financial and AAA finding that 38% of Gen Zers are planning to travel for the Super Bowl in 2025. Motivations to attend seem to go beyond the sporting events themselves.

So sport isn’t the only factor driving sports tourism?

Shanti: Exactly! That’s what’s so interesting about looking at this in a broader context, rather than what’s trending short-term. Though Gen Z’s interest in sports is lower than that of older generations, the loneliness epidemic affecting younger generations is drawing them to use sporting events for camaraderie and community, both in-person and later in online interactions. Secondly, thanks to the rise of wellness culture, younger generations are focusing on hobbies and interests like fitness and sports. Of course, the demand for experience-driven travel is still an influential macro trend, particularly for younger consumers, with unique cultural experiences particularly attractive. 

How are you seeing the trend evolve?

Shanti: Our Advisory team has seen that social media and entertainment are changing brand activations. New audiences are being introduced to sports excitement via bite-sized TikTok clips. Others are meeting a new generation of sports stars via shows like Netflix’s tennis documentary series Break Point. Influencer culture is another factor – sporting events have become prime venues for influencers to strike brand deals and showcase their fashion, too. Brands are bringing in influencers like podcaster Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy fame, attracting a fresh audience for sports events, particularly Gen Z women.

What are your recommendations for how brands can leverage sport to better connect with consumers?

Shanti: Brands are raising the bar on sports sponsorship with activations inside and outside the events: projections from 360i Research indicate the market will surge to $190bn by 2030. Successful brands will harness technology and demonstrate innovation like chatbots, AI analytics and livestreaming to elevate experiences. The Toyota Mobility Foundation trialled Voice Watch (an AI programme generating live audio commentary to enable visually impaired people to follow live races) at Japan’s 2023 Super Taikyu race. This appeals to Gen Z as inclusivity champions, while also elevating the experience for all attendees.

Creating extraordinary, unique experiences and activations for fans is another opportunity for brands. Airbnb offered a one-off stay in the clock room of the riverside Musée d’Orsay for the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony. Made into a bedroom by Mathieu Lehanneur, designer of the Paris 2024 torch and cauldron, the stay included a private tour and gourmet dinner.

The expansion of niche markets presents further opportunities. Deloitte reports that women’s elite sports will surpass $1bn for the first time this year. This will be huge for brands (which might not have explored sports before) to position themselves as leaders in the women’s sports sponsorship space. Look to NYX and Glossier, which have successfully partnered with female athletes at the Paris Olympics and in the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. The Women’s Sport Trust found that 29% of adults in the UK think more favourably of companies or brands that support women’s sports through their sponsorships, compared to 17% for those that support men’s sports.

What are you most excited about for the future of sports tourism?

Shanti: It’s such an exciting area, because it’s opening commercial opportunities for brands that haven't previously been involved in sports. It’s set to be an enduring trend rather than a sprint, so brands considering how to work with sports tourism and sports in culture more broadly must stay ahead of how engagement trends will evolve.

Many of the future-focused brands we’re working with are exploring how to prioritise sports tourism through our cutting-edge cross-industry insights and knowledge of consumer cohorts; it’s a recipe for success. I can’t wait for brands to start anticipating how Gen Alpha – the oldest of whom turn 15 next year – are going to want to interact with sports in travel and beyond.