The NFL, NBA, and other professional sports leagues are said to “officially have a millennial problem” based on recent survey results suggesting that interest in eSports is reaching parity with old-fashioned athletics: 40 percent born in the age group prefer watching the former, while a slightly larger percentage, 42, favor the latter (18 percent are undecided). The issue is that millennials and Gen Z have viewing habits that are incompatible with current business models for traditional sports: while there could be an overlap in interests, young people would prefer to get their content via smartphones and computers. However, sports networks are lagging when it comes to the simple act of streaming ball games.



eSsports leagues are all online. Most matches stream for free on sites like Twitch. They are available on the web or through smartphone apps. Competitive gaming is easily accessible, and it lives where Millennials are already spending their time. So if Goodell has a plan to counter that, it may have to rethink its content strategy that currently places a premium on exclusive television rights that make it difficult to watch games online or on a phone without paying a significant fee. “Particularly as Millennials become increasingly dominant within the marketplace, sports industry leaders like leagues, broadcast partners, other stakeholders must sharpen their game,” Evans and Moran write. “[That includes] offering programming that caters to the needs of these highly mobile, less engaged viewers.”

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Professional Sports Leagues Challenged as Millennials Prefer Watching eSports