Why the real battleground for sport has shifted

The match is no longer confined to the stadium or the living room. Today, it unfolds anywhere from TikTok feeds, WhatsApp groups and YouTube Shorts to creator/influencer networks and smart TVs.

Fans are not passive spectators waiting for a broadcast to dictate the story. They are curators, remixers and commentators in their own right. For sports marketers, this shift is not just a tweak to the distribution plan. It’s a wholesale change to where and how the game is played and consumed.

The most future-fit sports brands are building for this reality from the ground up. They recognise that attention now lives in moments, and that these moments often emerge outside of broadcast. 

The battle for relevance is increasingly fought on platforms where speed, cultural fluency and personality outweigh production gloss.

From the commentary box to the content feed

Legacy rights holders have relied on broadcast deals to deliver audience reach, commercial value and cultural presence. That model still matters, but it no longer guarantees dominance or sustainability. Formula 1’s Drive To Survive is the best-known example of a sport finding a new gear through digital storytelling, letting fans see it through a human lens and attracting a new fan base.

Manchester City’s growth in the digital space shows what happens when a major club adopts a challenger mindset. Post-2008, the club invested in one of football’s most advanced in-house content operations. From humorous social posts to behind-the-scenes Tunnel Cam footage, City showed that fans wanted proximity and personality. 

Challengers with nothing to lose

For emerging sports, the absence of broadcast baggage is a gift. Without legacy contracts or rigid approval structures and restrictions, challenger brands can move faster, experiment more freely and meet audiences where they already are. 

SailGP has taken sailing, and reframed it as a high-octane, social-friendly spectacle. Its strategy is as much about digital reach as in-person spectatorship, generating millions of impressions and building a global following race by race.

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) offers another example. By blending elite competition with mass participation, and integrating athlete-first storytelling into its content strategy, PTO has created a product built to live on social media as much as on the course. Fans are not just watching, they are following athletes as personalities, not just names on a results board.

The creator economy effect

The most progressive sports brands no longer treat social media as a supporting act. They make it the main stage. The PGA TOUR’s Creator Classic is a case in point. 

By inviting popular golf creators to compete and stream on YouTube, they have attracted a younger, more engaged audience and outperformed traditional broadcast metrics. Shorts receive more comments and longer watch time than standard pro tour content. This is the result of seeing creators not as competition but as a gateway to new audiences.

It reflects a wider truth. Social platforms are where the next generation of fans discover sport. A highlight reel might spark interest, but personality-driven, interactive content is what turns curiosity into engagement and loyalty. On these platforms, the competition extends beyond other sports to anything else a user can scroll past.

Rethinking the value chain

For rights holders and brand partners, the shift to social-first engagement demands a rethink of what success looks like. Reach and impressions still matter, but the value lies in what happens next. 

Are fans engaging with content? 

Are they sharing it, adding commentary, or buying into related products, services and experiences? 

In this environment, cultural relevance becomes as important as competitive performance.

The most effective sports understand that a TV clip will not thrive online without adaptation. Content must be designed for the platform it lives on. That means vertical-first thinking for TikTok, optimising for search and recommendations on YouTube, and leaning into trends without losing authenticity.

Why the battleground has shifted

The old hierarchy of broadcast at the top and social as a secondary channel no longer matches how fans consume sport. The most valuable interactions are raw, fast-moving and often shaped by the fans themselves. Broadcast will always play a role in delivering the live event, but it is no longer the primary driver of connection.

Social-first brands understand that sport is a constant conversation, not a once-a-week appointment. Every touchpoint, from an athlete’s personal feed to a sponsored meme, contributes to brand equity. 

This opens the door for challenger sports and smaller properties to compete with the giants. They do not need to match budgets if they can outmanoeuvre them in the spaces where attention now lives.

Playing to win in the social arena

For sports marketers, success means adopting a platform-native mindset, building creative and operational agility, and viewing athletes and creators as partners in storytelling. 

It’s time to accept that the narrative will be shared, not owned.

The brands that win will treat social as the first whistle, not the post-match analysis. Whether a heritage brand or a rising challenger, the real battleground for sport is no longer the broadcast schedule. It is the feed. 

And the feed never stops.

Gregg Oldfield is CEO of Engage Digital Partners