Guest Post: A Gen Z Perspective on A Busy Summer of Sport…

Our guest post comes from one of our summer interns, Harrison Rosner, and a rising senior at Northern Highlands Regional High School in New Jersey. 

For my entire life, I’ve been exposed to the business side of the sports industry–largely thanks to my father, Scott who now runs the Sports Management program and is a professor at Columbia. Although he has taught me countless sports lessons and undoubtedly passed on his rooting interests in the Philadelphia sports teams to the next generation, my own passion has allowed me to form an independent identity as an avid consumer of sports media with opinions on which teams and leagues do the best job of converting casual fans into loyal consumers. This summer is my first formal experience working in the industry, and throughout my journey of going to events of all kinds and journaling my thoughts, I’m going to be looking for moments which remind me of why we engage with sports in the first place. That’s the part of my independent identity which I feel is most important to share. I want to share what grabs the attention of the teenage sports fanatic–and someone who is incredibly familiar with the media habits of Generation Z. 

We watch and play sports for many reasons–the heartbreak and pure elation, the sense of togetherness, the athletes who turn into our heroes. Sport holds the rare power to bring the pride of two communities against each other, maximize the hatred between them, and finish off by shaking hands and coming together as one huge community. Every fan has the moment they remember watching on television or in the stadium. For some, it may be a “Miracle on Ice.” For others, it could be a pennant clinching home run, an impossible upset, or a goal so magical that no amount of replays could do it justice. Many may have had their moment outside of the game itself–a pregame anthem met with tears of joy, the time with family at the ballpark. Whatever the moment is, though, the importance is the feeling that is delivered. Sport can deliver that indescribable feeling. With that being said, here are five  things I will be observing fans react to this summer. 

1. Raw Moments – There is no better way to gauge the level of success of an event than how fans react in real time. The most viral sports moments are the wild reactions of fans to a massive moment, but a reaction of any kind is telling. A smile after visiting an exhibit, an emphatic answer to a simple question. The average fan is the best way to measure any big brand’s level of success at achieving their mission. If there is no reaction to a moment, and a brand’s event is met with indifference or anger, I want to find what that brand can do differently to get that emotion. Overall, observing the fans will give me exactly what I’m looking for–a reminder of what sports are all about. I’ve already seen a few of these moments this summer surrounding the World Cup, and I definitely will be searching for more. 
2. Social Media Trends – In the digital age of sports, such a massive part of the fan experience is consuming sports through social media. Whether it be TikTok, Instagram, X, or some other platform, many fans now consume the majority of their content via short form video or traditional posts from their favorite teams and leagues. There is no doubt that some organizations do a better job appealing to their demographic base than others. I want to find which organizations are those thriving ones, and what the lower-end social media teams can do to improve. 
3. Fan-Oriented Events – This summer is stacked with events catered 100% to avid sports fans. Fanatics Fest, the FIFA Museum, and countless other fan touchpoints don’t have a game going on–they simply want to bring fans in based on their love of the game. These events are massive opportunities to build a long-term connection with individual sports fans, but can also be huge swings-and-misses. I want to see which out-of-game events do the best job engaging fans. 
4. Game Accessibility – Already, this summer has had a mixed bag of reactions to how different organizations have made themselves available to the average fan. The best example of this, of course, is FIFA. Many fans have expressed their discontent with the sky-high ticket prices and logistical issues regarding transportation. Despite FIFA having the spotlight through July 19th, though, every league receives feedback from fans regarding how they value the product–including prices with everything from tickets to merchandise to concessions. I’m interested to see how fans react to prices at events all summer long. 
5. Traditions and Community Moments – Perhaps the things I most want to see this summer are moments when fans come together. Every summer, new moments arise in the stands of ballparks and streets of cities. Fans come together and rally behind their favorite athletes when they need it most. The best sports moments don’t always come after the high of a championship. Rather, they come in beautifully human moments of coming together when times are bleak. Naturally, I am beyond excited to see and journal on how the sports community thrives in new ways in July and August.