The sports media landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. In 2024, sports content on YouTube saw a remarkable 45% increase, with more than 35 billion hours of content watched. This rise in viewership comes at a time when competition for attention is fierce. Traditional broadcast channels, once the cornerstone of sports culture, are struggling to keep pace with the evolving digital age. According to Thomas Markland, founder of creator company HYDP, this rapid growth is largely driven by a new wave of athlete-driven content that’s reshaping the way fans engage with sports.
The Shift to Digital: Athletes Leading the Charge
For decades, sports fandom was built around major broadcast networks, with fans tuning in to watch their favorite teams on linear television. But in 2024, Markland observes that sports culture has moved away from these traditional channels and into the hands of individuals. “Fandom, central to sports culture, has traditionally been centralized around broadcast channels,” Markland explains. “But we saw enormous moves to shift sports culture away from linear networks and toward individuals, primarily driven by athletes themselves.”
Athletes like Kyler Murray, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Agel Reece have created their own YouTube channels, where they produce engaging content while performing at the highest level. These channels, along with sports commentary outlets like The Pat McAfee Show and Pardon My Take, are growing rapidly, replacing traditional broadcasters as the go-to destinations for breaking sports news and commentary.
In addition to individual athlete channels, collaborations between creators and athletes have become increasingly common. Markland points to partnerships like Kyler Murray’s collaboration with popular influencer Kai Cenat, as well as Tiger Woods’ appearance on golf-focused YouTube channels, as evidence of how athletes are blending into the creator culture. This shift is transforming sports fandom, allowing fans to connect with sports on a deeper level by consuming content in more frequent, specialized formats.
“This shift has pushed sports fandom into digital spaces, allowing fans to connect more deeply and consistently with the sports they love,” Markland says. “Hour by hour, fans can consume swaths of more captivating, frequent and specialized content; linear networks and channels cannot compete.”
The individualization of sports fandom, where fans support athletes rather than entire teams or franchises, is a trend Markland expects to continue growing in 2025. As the attention of fans continues to move toward individual personalities, broadcasters and sports leagues will face new challenges in adapting to this shift.
Athletes as Content Creators: A Growing Trend
The trend of athletes becoming content creators is not a passing fad. High-profile athletes like Tom Brady and Cristiano Ronaldo joining YouTube channels signals a fundamental shift in the sports world. Markland compares their moves to the entertainment industry’s pivot to streaming platforms in 2019, when major stars like Sandra Bullock and Will Smith joined Netflix.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Brady and Ronaldo’s joining YouTube should send a message similar to the sports universe’s,” Markland explains. “The creator economy is not just a threat to traditional sports, but it’s the future.”
As top athletes build their personal brands, they are not simply sharing behind-the-scenes footage; they are curating content designed specifically to engage with younger audiences, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Ronaldo’s YouTube channel alone is projected to generate $1.33 million in ad revenue by August 2024, illustrating the financial potential of athletes’ direct-to-fan relationships.
“Their content is planned and thought out, and they’re now acting like creators,” says Markland. “Why pay millions of dollars for a tiny little logo on the sleeve of a Manchester United training shirt when you can get a far better ROI and align yourself to arguably the world’s best soccer player?”
As more athletes embrace the creator economy, brands are taking notice. By aligning themselves with athletes who have digital platforms, sponsors are able to tap into more personalized, direct relationships with fans.
The Power of Authenticity and Exclusivity in Sports Content
One of the key drivers of this digital shift is the demand for authenticity and exclusivity. In the past, athletes’ personal lives were largely hidden behind corporate regulations and sponsors. However, as more athletes take control of their own content, they are showing their true selves to fans.
“We often forget how young sports stars are. They’re frequently at the pinnacle of their careers in their early twenties,” says Markland. “This new athlete generation has grown up on social media, creating and sharing content.”
ADVERTISEMENT
This generation of athletes is not just performing; they are sharing their personal lives, their mental health struggles, and their beliefs with fans. Markland highlights the importance of the 2024 Olympics, where athletes posted behind-the-scenes content and showcased their personalities without the constraints of corporate control.
“The Olympics showcased the value of athletes showcasing their personalities unburdened by organizations, sponsors and regulations,” Markland adds. “This showcased the power of athletes directly communicating with fans, the affinity it can create and the increased opportunity for sponsors to leverage these stories for gain.”
Traditional sports documentaries like Hard Knocks and All or Nothing have tried to create similar connections with fans, but according to Markland, the emotional bond fades when the show ends. “Once it’s over, you lose connection to the people on camera,” he says. “The Olympics showcased a colossal opportunity for leagues and franchises to leverage authentic and personal content from those within the organizations.”
What Brands Want in the Sports Creator Economy
As the creator economy continues to grow, brands are becoming more selective in choosing athletes and creators for partnerships. Markland explains that the sports creator economy is unique because it doesn’t follow the traditional model of sports broadcasts. “For the last few decades, professional sports broadcasts, sports commentary, amateur participation, training, and education have been separated by channels and physical spaces,” he says.
Now, with platforms like YouTube, fans can discover new sports, connect with creators, and even share their own participation in these sports. “Now, an individual can fall in love with golf via Good Good, watch the LIV Tour, learn the sport, meet other players, and post their participation on a platform like YouTube,” Markland notes.
For brands, understanding these ecosystems and integrating their products into these touchpoints is key to success. Markland suggests that brands that navigate this new environment effectively will win by engaging fans where they are, across multiple digital spaces.
Monetizing Sports Content: The Rise of Creator-Led Brands
As athletes continue to build their digital empires, many are diversifying their income streams beyond traditional sponsorships and YouTube ad revenue. Sports creators are tapping into the product space, launching their own brands to compete with traditional sports apparel companies.
Markland points to creators like Emily Oberg, Marcus Milione, and Kim Kardashian, whose brands—Sporty & Rich, Minted New York, and Skims—are successfully taking on industry giants like Nike, Puma, and Under Armour. With improved online access to production supply chains and a growing demand for community-led commerce, sports creators have a massive opportunity to launch products that appeal directly to their fan bases.
“Traditional sports brands have been among the first to feel the effects of smaller creator-led community brands stealing market share,” Markland says. “All sports creators have a gigantic opportunity in product. Get it right, and they can capitalize on consumers’ declining interest in giant sports brands.”
