The value of sports in a child’s life is well documented, from teaching crucial life skills such as teamwork, self-control, discipline and leadership, to improving physical and mental health.

And these benefits aren’t derived just from physically getting in the game, either. Children who watch sports content tend to be better at dealing with loss, have higher levels of perseverance, and are more proficient at math.

There’s a very clear correlation between children who watch sports content and those who participate, according to research that We Are Family conducted at the end of 2023 with more than 4,300 kids ages eight to 12 around the world. Furthermore, this study shows that sports participation and content consumption feed into each other—children watch their favorite sports content, get inspired to participate, fall in love with the sport, and then seek out more content.

With that in mind, one could argue that creating sports content for children is almost a moral obligation. And it’s not like we’re forcing kids to eat their broccoli—sport is the perfect storytelling vehicle, rich with rivalries, competition, athletes’ journeys, struggles, jeopardy, rewards, surprises and emotions.

When we asked kids how they like to engage in fandom for a team or athlete, “watching content” was the number-one answer. In fact, 85% of the young sports aficionados we spoke to watch sports content weekly, and 23% do so daily.

So why don’t we see kids TV producers making reams and reams of kids content focused on sports, in the same way that we see it happening in the adult-focused general entertainment market? Sure, there are a few exceptions, but sports content aimed at children is conspicuous in its absence. The reasons for this are threefold.

1. The money factor

Follow the money and it’s evident that current sports sponsorships are not geared towards attracting younger audiences. From gambling companies to cryptocurrency firms, the focus is squarely on the 18-to 34-year-old demo. And to make matters worse, clubs sponsored by gambling firms must actively avoid engaging with children across
the EU, the US and most major global economies. The truth is, the financial gain of sports content aimed at kids is limited.

2. Declining interest in live sports

Live sporting events are the heart of sports content. They are the focus of so much attention that broadcasters (and now streamers) will pay billions of dollars for these rights—and kids just aren’t watching live sports. Our survey revealed that only 51% “regularly watch games/ competitions with the team, either live or on TV.” While access to live
sports can be an issue, particularly for kids from lower-income families, only 13% of those who don’t watch live sports cited this as the barrier.

The truth is, live sports just don’t do it for kids. They are used to much shorter content lengths, and they can get a well-edited highlight reel on social within minutes of the final whistle. They are just not programmed to sit down and watch two or more hours of content at a specific moment in time.

3. Preference for peripheral content

Kids today consume sports content differently. They gravitate towards YouTube personalities like the Sidemen and Dude Perfect (YouTube is kids’ favorite platform to consume sports content on), TikTok clips and Instagram stories from their favorite athletes, as well as gaming platforms like Roblox and console/mobile games. Even podcasts have
found their niche among young sports enthusiasts.

Traditional broadcasters are struggling to adapt to this fragmented and dynamic landscape, with their eyes still focused on the live sports experience (that they paid billions for…). They just aren’t thinking about all of these new types of sports content that are more appealing to kids.

To bridge this gap and foster a new generation of sports enthusiasts, there are several opportunities that are ripe for content creators, producers, broadcasters and rights owners to take advantage of.

1. Fix the live experience

While the live sports ‘horse’ has already bolted for many kids, there is still a chance to get some of them back into the fold. To begin with, leveraging new technologies such as augmented reality (AR) can create immersive and interactive sports experiences.

And bringing in influencers and social commentators to add their own take on the live games can add a sense of relatability. Reaction videos are a mainstay of social content, and this format can easily be applied to live sports.

With 42% of US kids already watching eSports streams, it’s also about taking the live experience to where they are. Running a live game in Roblox, Fortnite or even in EA Sports FC (the new name of the FIFA game series) could potentially tap into the popularity of eSports.

And finally, while access wasn’t the biggest barrier, it still accounts for why one in eight kids don’t watch live sports. It’s important for sports governing bodies to look beyond the immediate live rights revenue they might get from selling into walled-garden content providers and focus on getting their sport in front of as many future fans as possible.

In the long run, the value of engaging kids and cultivating the next generation of fans will be worth the short-term revenue loss. From cricket to swimming to Formula 1, we are seeing more athletic associations recognizing the value of free-to-air partners.

2. Give smaller sports a chance

There are many sports that have the potential to gain a foothold with kids through exposure. Shining a spotlight on lesser-known sports and finding a cost-effective way to air them would be great for sports in general.

This is also an opportunity to balance out the inequality between men’s and women’s sports. Many media pundits will say that women’s sports don’t draw enough viewers to justify the broadcast spend. But as exposure breeds fandom, it becomes a Catch-22. We have seen from what is happening in the US with the WNBA and women’s soccer that you can build an audience if you’re brave enough to stay the course and invest in a sport long term.

3. Peripheral content is the new core

We know that the more channels kids can exhibit fandom on, the deeper and stronger that fandom becomes. On average, children engage with sports across 4.7 different channels, and grazing on the content that spins off of the live experience will form the majority of a child’s sports consumption. The sort of content they enjoy is also extremely varied, from official content to unofficial fan-driven stuff.

The live sports moment will always exist, but the focus should be all about what content you can create in the build-up and aftermath. Looking at what sports like MMA and boxing are doing at the moment, and the increase in their popularity among children, is strong evidence to suggest that it can be done—and other sports should be taking a page from their playbooks.

This article by Maurice Wheeler originally appeared in Kidscreen’s Q3 2024 magazine issue, which you can read here.

Maurice Wheeler is CEO of We Are Family UK, the world’s largest full-service agency group that specializes
in children, young people and their families. He has been on the front line of developing audience-led strategies for more than 20 years.