The 2024 U.S. Election Lesson for Live Sports: Old Playbooks Won’t Capture The Next Generation of Fans
The Creator Economy Election
We’ve just witnessed an unprecedented cultural shift.
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, young voter preferences took a surprising turn, with Donald Trump securing 46% of the youth vote (ages 18-29), up from 36% in 2020.
From Nov 8 - WSJ:
But this shift wasn’t just about policies—it was about the medium and the message.
Both parties leaned heavily into social media, influencer partnerships, and real-time engagement, but whether you love or hate it, Trump’s campaign did something that Kamala Harris’s team missed: it created content that felt natural, relatable, and engaging to digital-native generations. Whether through creator-led or fan-led communities, meme culture, or short-form videos that fit seamlessly into online spaces, the campaign spoke the language of young voters and used formats they naturally gravitate toward. The Harris campaign on the other hand relied on overly polished, scripted and corporate narrative.
For the sports world, there’s a powerful takeaway here: old playbooks won’t capture the next generation of fans. And if you ignore them, you too will lose.
Live sports, like political campaigns, have long relied on traditional models to engage audiences. But to resonate with young fans today, sports need to embrace the digital-first approach that comes naturally to today’s generation.
DISRUPTIVE PLAY - Here’s how live sports can take a page from the 2024 U.S. election playbook:
Embrace Authenticity Over Polish: Younger audiences are tired of scripted, highly-produced content. The more human and relatable the content, the more it will resonate with young fans.
Check out Let’s Freakin Rodeo by Cole Harris and Ty Harris as they make Rodeo even more fun and accessible
Meet Audiences Where They Are, and Use Their Language: Just as campaigns built a presence on social platforms, sports media needs to treat these platforms as primary channels, not as a dumping ground for highlights. The era of expecting young fans to come to legacy networks is over; it’s about meeting them in their natural habitat.
Uncut on the Premier’s YT channel is great example of formats that can engage fans in a different way
Spark Dialogue, Not Just Broadcasting: Young audiences want to be active participants in the conversation, not passive recipients. In the same way that political campaigns encouraged young voters to discuss, debate, and interact, rights holders can tap into creator-led social communities where fans feel empowered to voice their opinions, engage in debates, and feel part of a bigger story.
Kai Cenat’s month long live stream allows fans to engage and interact at all times.
Lean into Creator and Fan-Led Communities: By empowering endemic & passionate creators and superfans to create and share their own content—whether it’s the live feed, watchalongs, game highlights, player memes, or fan commentary—sports can foster organic engagement. User-generated content gives fans a sense of ownership and makes them feel like an active part of the sport’s culture, rather than just passive consumers.
Mark Goldbridge did his first-ever watch-along from a stadium for the Charlton vs. Wrexham game that drove 2.2 million views across all platforms, 128,000 viewers - way above the 20,000 average for a League One game on Sky.
Prioritize Speed and Agility: In today’s fast-paced social ecosystem, trends move quickly. The success of political content during election season depended on reacting fast to news and moments. For sports, this means real-time highlights, reactions, and interactive experiences that keep fans connected to the action as it unfolds
After Saquon Barkley’s insane game, Team Whistle, quickly capitalized on the moment:
The 2024 election has shown us that younger audiences respond to content that is immediate, relatable, and genuinely engaging. For live sports, embracing this new playbook means stepping away from exclusive TV models and embracing a diverse digital approach that lets fans engage in real time, in ways that feel meaningful. As live sports look to capture the next generation of fans, adapting to this new landscape is not just an option—it’s essential.
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