The promise of Gen Z as a market is usually measured in terms of its size. According to Statista, about 67 million people in the US alone belong to this generation, and have a very specific purchasing behavior when it comes to entertainment.

Some key points about them: Gen Z’ers were born between 1997 and 2012, are the most ethnically and racially diverse generation yet, have an almost natural relationship with the world through their smartphones, deeply value their self-expression, and are often looking for meaningful purchases that fit their lifestyles, which they carefully design according to their political and social inclinations. 

This is why Gen Z represents a new, different challenge for brands from almost all sectors. How would one sell a product to a part of the population that questions everything, but is looking for hyper-personalized products? And, perhaps more interestingly, what else is to value about Gen Z aside from their size?

The most immediate answer is their potential to become hyper-consumers in a couple of years, when they eventually participate in the job market, have their own purchasing power, and pay for whatever team they have become loyal to.  But in the race to win these potential customers, business people –specifically those from the sports industry– face another, perhaps tougher challenge: how to keep Gen Z’ers engaged with a product despite the many distractions they face in the entire entertainment industry. 

In terms of sports engagement, brands could leverage a highly personalized experience for users with state-of-the-art data analysis, play-by-play video feeds that can connect to their own social media platforms, and even an enhanced reality experience during a live event or sports match.