Is streaming accessibility the key to maintaining Gen Z's interest in soccer?

European soccer leagues that have taken the plunge into digital licensing are far more popular among 18-24 years old and have seen less of a drop in interest in the sport among this demographic than other leagues and competitions. At a global level, 18-24 year olds under-index for interest in most sports, including soccer. In Q1 2019, 23% of those 18-24 year olds surveyed across 20 markets worldwide expressed an interest in soccer, versus 27% of the wider respondent base. This also translates into the age bracket’s interest in European soccer leagues and competitions. Of ten leagues and soccer competitions surveyed, all but two show a lower interest among this age group.  Spain's La Liga and French Ligue 1 both over-index for interest among the younger demographic while the English Premier League and Italy's Serie A both show broadly equal interest among 18-24 year olds and older age groups. For La Liga and the English Premier League 18-24 year olds are also more likely to be willing to pay for access than the average consumer.

Digital licensing deals seem to play a part. La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League have signed deals for digital distribution with DAZN in multiple markets, La Liga has Facebook as a partner in India, and Amazon has purchased a Premier League package in the UK. All of these partners offer the content at a much lower price than traditional pay TV and allow streaming access, making the competitions more accessible to an increasingly mobile and cash-strapped generation. As the struggle for younger audiences’ attention continues access beyond broadcast will become a more prominent part of distribution strategy, and other soccer leagues and competitions should be considering how best to make the most of these new, lower-cost distribution channels. 

Rise in spin-offs and reboots - is America running out of ideas?

In the first half of 2019 the proportion of new US TV commissions using existing stories such as comic-books, novels and older TV shows increased significantly, raising the question - is America running out of new ideas? In November and December 2018, one in five commissions’ inspiration stemmed from existing source material. In comparison, in March and April 2019 this share rose to almost one in three. In addition, growth has been increasingly driven by spin-offs and rebooted content. Literary adaptations accounted for 59% of adaptations in November and December 2018, but this fell to 49% three months later in March and April 2019. Conversely, spin-offs and reboots rose from 28% to 43% of existing-source commissions in the same period.

Nearly half of all spin-off and reboot commissions fall under the Reality (19) and Children & Family (11) genres. The 19 Reality spin-off and reboot commissions were spread across 12 different commissioners, led by TLC and AMC's We TV. TLC is spinning off new shows from its successful 90 Day Fiancé, Say Yes to the Dress franchises, as well as rebooting the 90s fashion series What Not to Wear. We TV is spinning off new shows from the Growing Up Hip Hop, Love After Lockup, and Marriage Boot Camp series. The majority of Reality spin-offs and reboots were commissioned for cable networks, which accounted for 18 of the 19 Reality shows. In the Children & Family category, Nickelodeon is the currently the largest single commissioner of reboots and spun-off content this year, and is behind 7 of the 11 Children & Family spin-offs & reboots, with the remainder coming from studios (Disney+ and Warner Media) planning to launch their own SVoD services by the end of the year.

Among the 31 commissioners of rebooted and spun-off content, after Nickelodeon, ABC vies for second place with Disney+, having commissioned five reboots and spin-offs. It has commissioned a reboot of two classic game shows and the 90s police procedural New York Undercover, as well as a spin-off from hit medical drama Gray’s Anatomy and Comedy Black-Ish. Level with TLC, cable network Bravo is also working on four productions, including spin-offs from reality series Below Deck and medical drama Married to Medicine as well as reboots of reality format Blind Date and LGBT+ drama Queer as Folk.