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Gen Z rewrites loyalty and purpose expectations; Gen Alpha brings gaming-born identity and fluid fandom norms. What this means for content, partnerships, and product strategy. Executive summary By 2026, two generations will be setting the rules of fandom in sports: Gen Z , who prizes authenticity, creator-driven culture and purposeful brands; and Gen Alpha , the first fully digital-native cohort, whose relationship with sport is play-first, participatory and highly fluid. For

Fandom used to be simple: you watched games, bought a scarf, cheered at the stadium. Today, fandom is a living social system—distributed, performative, and fast-moving. It’s built from identity signals, stitched together in digital campfires, and amplified by memes that mutate overnight. For brands, rights holders, and teams, this isn’t noise to be tolerated; it’s the matrix that determines relevance, reach, and ROI. This article breaks down the anthropology behind modern spo