Why winning Gen Alpha sports fans is a revenue strategy, not just a marketing tactic

Kids are choosing their favourite sports teams much earlier than many brands realise, and fandom formed in childhood is sticky, emotional and commercially valuable for decades.

The commercial imperative of early fandom

Our sports research finds that over 20% of kids in the US choose their favourite sports team before turning seven. By age 12, half have made their decision, and by 15, two thirds have committed loyalty to a team.

These early decisions matter. Fandom formed in childhood is often sticky and deeply emotional, becoming a powerful driver of the lifetime value of a fan. For sports brands this creates a high-value commercial window: show up early and you do not just gain attention, you build lifelong loyalty.

As true digital natives, Gen Alpha is fundamentally changing how all entertainment content is experienced, and that includes sport. Their expectations, behaviours and platform usage are unlike any generation before them, which offers significant opportunities for brands willing to adapt. Those investing in youth strategies now will be best positioned in a market projected to surpass $860 billion by 2033, according to The Business Research Company.

The shape of fandom has changed

Today’s young sports fans are growing up in a digital-first, creator-driven culture where fandom is shaped less by proximity or family tradition and more by a fragmented digital ecosystem. Engagement with teams, leagues and athletes increasingly happens in screen-first environments: Roblox and Fortnite integrations such as the NFL’s Super Bowl activations or LaLiga’s immersive metaverse zones; athlete-led storytelling on TikTok and short-form video, where athletes such as Simone Biles and Lamine Yamal engage millions beyond the match; and docu-series on YouTube and Netflix such as The Last Dance, Drive to Survive or Welcome to Wrexham.

These young fans are also 38% more likely than the average 5 to 15 year old to plan a visit to a live event or attraction related to their team. While traditional broadcasters such as ESPN and Fox Sports remain relevant, with a quarter of kids reporting they have watched them in the past month, engagement increasingly goes beyond passive viewing. Today 27% of kids actively follow and engage with their favourite teams on social media, and 22% say they either own or would like to buy in-game sports merchandise, such as Fortnite skins tied to their favourite athlete, team or sport.

Measuring the lifetime value of early fandom

When loyalty forms young, it influences consumption habits through every subsequent life stage. Sports organisations must recognise this extended value curve and align their strategies accordingly, because when nurtured intentionally it becomes a revenue engine rather than a marketing line item.

According to twocircles.com, fans recruited by age 14 are 24% more likely to declare themselves highly passionate, 98% more likely to consume daily, and spend 88% more on sport than those who became fans later.

The value curve runs roughly as follows. Ages 5 to 10 is discovery and emotional connection, monetised through branded games, family merchandise, junior memberships and kid-first media. Ages 11 to 20 is social identity and digital fandom, through stream subscriptions, apparel, influencer collaborations and first live events. Ages 21 to 35 brings independent spend and deepening loyalty, through season tickets, fantasy leagues, premium merchandise and live events. Ages 36 to 50 is where family purchase decisions sit, through family experiences, youth sign-ups and kids’ club programmes. And 50 plus is legacy influence and advocacy, through nostalgia-driven spend and second-generation fan onboarding.

Yet many sports organisations prioritise short-term ticket sales and adult conversions, overlooking the long-term value of engaging younger audiences, where both emotional connection and commercial compounding are strongest.

Fandom begins in moments, not just matchdays

For Boomers and Gen X, fandom often began in a stadium or through family ties. For Gen Alpha, discovery happens through digital channels: a meme, a game clip or a video shared by friends or influencers that sparks a connection to a team, league or brand.

Our latest US data for kids aged 5 to 15 shows 53% discover new brands in online spaces, 24% hear about them via online video, and 21% through platforms such as TikTok and Facebook. 65% say they often learn about new things from influencers. A single moment of relevance can be the starting point for a lifelong relationship, when it resonates with the values and habits of today’s youth.

The new attention landscape

Sports teams are no longer competing within their own leagues. They are competing for attention within a broader ecosystem that includes gaming, social content and popular culture. Key forces include YouTube creators such as MrBeast, cited as the favourite by 20% of US kids; gaming platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft, where kids spend over 10 hours per week, two hours more than with physical toys; and cultural icons such as Taylor Swift, Dwayne Johnson and Beyoncé, who dominate kids’ emotional availability.

In this crowded field, sport ranks below video games at 16%, arts and crafts at 10%, and watching TV or YouTube at 6% as kids’ favourite hobbies. Among sports, football is the most popular at 5%, followed by basketball and swimming at 4% each.

To earn young audiences’ attention, sports brands must understand the wider cultural context, show up in the digital spaces where kids already spend their time, and offer experiences that feel social, shareable and seamless.

Strategic recommendations for sports brands

Show up where kids already are. Discovery starts online. YouTube, Roblox, TikTok and Fortnite are where kids spend time, form habits and shape opinions. Dropping content into those spaces, designed specifically for kids rather than recycled from adult feeds, is how you create the first spark of fandom.

Create experiences families can share. Parents make the purchases, but kids shape what gets noticed and remembered. Experiences families enjoy together, whether a junior membership, a co-viewing moment at home or a day out at a match, turn sport into a shared story and lay the foundation for loyalty that travels between generations.

Treat attention like currency. Kids live in a world full of distractions. To stand out, content needs to feel relevant, playful and emotionally engaging. Every touchpoint should feel designed for them, from tone and storytelling to platform choice, so attention leads to connection and eventually to loyalty.

Understand fandom as a journey. Fandom shifts shape as kids grow. At five it begins with discovery, by twelve it becomes part of identity, at twenty-one spending power kicks in, and at forty influence extends to their own family. Tracking that journey with ongoing insight helps brands build the right touchpoints at the right time, and measure impact beyond ticket or merchandise sales.

Think beyond borders. A kid no longer needs to live near a stadium to feel connected to a team. Global streaming, gaming and social platforms mean a fan in Mumbai or Mexico City can follow the same club as one in Manchester. Organisations that embrace that reach while creating localised ways to belong will unlock new communities of loyal supporters.

The opportunity of a generation

Sports fandom built early and nurtured intentionally delivers greater lifetime value. To capitalise, organisations must evolve their strategies, moving beyond seasonal activations to long-term lifecycle engagement, and from static campaigns to dynamic, insight-led initiatives.

Kids Insights, US, Q2 2025. Ages 5 to 15, n=c.1,900.

Market size projection from The Business Research Company.

Fan value figures from twocircles.com.