Bango Research: 51% of Gen Z Say Highlights Are Replacing Live Games

New research from subscription bundling platform Bango finds that younger sports fans are increasingly consuming sport through highlights, clips, and social media rather than live broadcasts, amid growing frustration with fragmented streaming services.

Key findings from the study:

51% of 25-34-year-olds and 47% of 18-24-year-olds say highlights are replacing live games for them, compared to 38% of Americans overall.

59% of 25-34-year-olds and 58% of 18-24-year-olds say they often follow games through clips, updates, or social media instead of watching the full match, compared to 46% overall.

50% of Americans want one app for all the sports they watch, rising to 56% among 18-24-year-olds and 59% among 25-34-year-olds.

45% of 18-24-year-olds and 46% of 25-34-year-olds say they subscribe to too many sports streaming services, compared to 30% overall.

73% of 18-24-year-olds and 77% of 25-34-year-olds say they need more than one paid subscription to watch all the live sports they actively follow, compared to 57% overall.

57% of 18-24-year-olds and 55% of 25-34-year-olds say they have missed a game because they could not find where it was streaming.

58% of both 18-24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds use a second screen while watching live sport, compared to 39% overall.

40% of 18-24-year-olds and 37% of 25-34-year-olds say they do not pay for sports streaming because piracy is the best way to watch sports, compared to 30% overall.

Sports streaming was supposed to make live sport easier to access. Instead, many fans now find themselves juggling multiple subscriptions and platforms just to follow the teams and games they care about, says Giles Tongue, Subscription Expert, Bango. While live matches remain hugely important, they are no longer the only way that young fans engage with sport. As streaming becomes more fragmented, many are turning to highlights, clips and social content to stay connected, transforming sport from a single live viewing event into an always-on digital experience. The findings highlight a growing gap between how fans want to consume sport and how sports streaming is delivered today. As sports content becomes spread across more services, the brands that simplify access and bring fragmented sports experiences back together will be best placed to engage the next generation of sports fans.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/06/17/bango-research-51-of-gen-z-say-...
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