Gen Z wants experiential fandom

Gen Z sports fans are pushing teams to build fandom around phones, clips and live interaction instead of a full game on television. (deloitte.com) Bay Football Club said on April 14 that it selected Contentstack as its digital experience platform partner for the 2026 season, a sign that clubs are buying software to deliver faster updates and more personalized content. Bay Football Club, known as Bay FC, plays in the National Women’s Soccer League. (contentstack.com) Bay FC had already moved in that direction on March 6, when it launched a new mobile app with ticketing, in-stadium entry, real-time scores, stat updates, match reminders and push alerts for exclusive content. The club said fans would use the app both at PayPal Park and from home. (bayfc.com) That club-level shift lines up with broader survey data. Deloitte said its 2023 Sports Fan Insights survey covered more than 3,000 United States sports fans age 14 and older and found younger fans were moving toward more personalized and interconnected digital experiences. (deloitte.com) International research from IBM, based on a Morning Consult study of more than 18,000 sports fans across 10 countries, found younger fans were more likely to favor digital platforms, while real-time updates and personalized content ranked among the top ways generative artificial intelligence could improve sports engagement. (ibm.com) Formula 1 reported a similar pattern on July 1, 2025, when it said its global fan survey drew more than 100,000 responses from 186 countries and showed Gen Z, women and United States audiences driving an “always-on, connected” style of fandom. Formula 1 said 61% of respondents engaged with Formula 1 content daily. (formula1.com) The business case is getting stronger as women’s sports audiences grow. Nielsen said on June 12, 2025, that Women’s National Basketball Association fandom had risen more than 31% in two years, while football, the sport most of the world calls soccer, was gaining in the United States with a fan base that was 76% Millennials or Gen Z. (nielsen.com) Technology vendors are pitching clubs on exactly that demand. Contentstack said in June 2025 that it added real-time audience insights and data activation to its platform so brands could tailor content and campaigns across channels as fans clicked, watched and bought. (contentstack.com) Deloitte’s 2026 sports industry outlook said sports, media and commerce are converging, with artificial intelligence becoming a core operating layer for teams and leagues. In that setup, a club app is not just a ticket wallet; it is also a storefront, a media feed and a direct marketing channel. (deloitte.com) Bay FC’s 2026 app already bundles those functions in one place, from ticket transfer and venue access to merchandise, standings and breaking-news alerts. The next test is whether fans who grew up on short clips and constant updates keep showing up for teams that can make a live match feel as interactive as the rest of their feed. (bayfc.com)