LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg and ThePostGame today released findings from their comprehensive behavioral study of American sports fans, including the impact of the post-Millennial Generation Z demographic. The study will be conducted annually and will be supplemented by issue-focused questions throughout the year.
"#SCORE 2016 reveals the growing importance of sports content to all types of media and every platform," said Jeffrey I. Cole, PhD, Founder and Director of the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg. "Sports is the last category of must-see-now content. Based on our data, GenZ and Millennial fans are clearly shifting preferences, behavior and spending."
"Multibillion-dollar decisions are being made today that will affect how fans access sports content for years to come," said David Katz, Founder and CEO of ThePostGame, a leading digital sports lifestyle content company and co-sponsor of the #SCORE report. "Our goal is to arm the leagues, teams, TV networks, technology companies and advertisers with this unprecedented data to help them make fundamentally sound decisions that benefit all of their constituents."
#SCORE 2016: The Impact of Changing Sports Fan Behavior on Media, Advertising and Spending, brings a unique perspective to the industry, combining the academic rigor and exclusive data from the Center for the Digital Future's 17-year World Internet Project with ThePostGame's category expertise in digital sports content in this new survey. This comprehensive analysis covers 60 sports and every possible device and platform.
The following findings were announced today:
Nearly all Americans (86 percent), both male (92 percent) and female (80 percent), consider themselves sports fans.
It's time to challenge many of our long-held assumptions about sports.
Changes in media consumption could be dramatic.
Most sports fans don't hate ads, and some younger sports fans find it useful.
The findings announced today build on previews shared with the IEG 2016 sports sponsorship conference and the 4As Transformation advertising conference.
#SCORE 2016 has deep cuts of data by every sport, cross-tabbed against every demographic category, and can be customized for private briefings. Private briefings are available for leagues, teams, brands, media companies, technology companies, agencies, facilities owners, and local and state governments. To schedule a briefing, please contact Phoebe Schramm at pschramm@digitalcenter.org.
Methodology note: This survey was sampled nationally between Jan. 6 to Feb. 2, 2016. Respondents were age 15-74, living in the U.S., and the survey was conducted in English. The results are based on the responses of 1005 individuals and the margin of error is 3.1 percent.
USC Annenberg's Center for the Digital Future has been studying consumers' digital behavior for more than 15 years and has predicted significant shifts in both consumer behavior and business climate, including the demise of home-based land lines and the current difficulties being experienced by once-dominant sports media entities. The Center provides the management of global companies, government leadership, and NGOs with perspective and guidance to keep ahead of trends in the digital realm. The Center is a research and policy institute within the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Its innovative techniques for collecting and analyzing social science employ digital experts, researchers, and strategists who continue to build the definitive body of data and insights on the changing role of online technology and media in our lives. The Center's work includes the Digital Future Project, the World Internet Project, and customized and proprietary studies, consulting and market research.
About ThePostGame and TPG Studios
ThePostGame's sports lifestyle and culture content reaches more than 40 million people each month across ThePostGame.com, YouTube, email subscribers, social media fans and followers, and content-distribution partners. As a top sports-focused multi-channel video network (MCN) on YouTube, ThePostGame content has generated more than 1 billion video views. The digital media property's original journalism has won two Associated Press Sports Editors awards and it has consistently been one of ShareThis' Most Shared Sports/Lifestyle Sites since its debut. TPG Studios – the creative services and production division of ThePostGame – serves advertisers and rights holders interested in aligning their brand values with inspiring content. ThePostGame has delivered more than 300 client-funded engagements and partnered with many of the biggest companies in sports and media including the NFL, YouTube, Yahoo, PGA, Samsung, P&G, Panasonic, Toyota, Hyundai, Ford, UFC Gym, Fiat and BP to name a few. For more information on TPG Studios, visit ThePostGameStudios.com.
Media contact: Michele Clarke | 203.912.0560 | michele.clarke@thepostgame.com
SOURCE USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future