The news: 47% of Gen Zers ages 18 to 24 and 38% of all US adults are replacing sports games with live clips and highlights on social media, per Bango’s Switching the Play report.

More than half (58%) of 18- to 34-year-olds use a second screen while streaming live sports, while over one-third (39%) of all US adults do the same.

What it means: Advertising in sports content depends on sustained viewing and engagement, and if younger fans are interacting with content primarily through highlights, clips, and social media, marketers may need to rethink how they monetize attention.

Short-form clips can serve as both a substitute for and an entry point into live viewing, giving platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and X more influence over sports consumption.

Frequent second-screen behavior suggests attention is already split across platforms, creating more opportunities for social and creator ecosystems to intercept engagement. We expect 216.8 million US adults will use a smartphone as a second screen in 2026—80.6% of the population—making activations like scannable QR codes a prime opportunity to capture audience attention.

Recommendations for brands: As sports viewing fragments across screens, formats, and platforms, focus on following fans where their attention lies—rather than relying on live audiences or linear TV alone—to capture more ad impressions.

• Treat highlights as a unique media channel by building campaigns specifically for clips and reels rather than simply repurposing TV creative for social.
• Partner with leagues, creators, and athletes to appear alongside highlights on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and X.
• Use short-form video to drive viewers toward longer-form content, and craft branded activations that extend engagement beyond a single clip.
• Plan for fragmented attention by setting up cross-platform measurement KPIs around second-screen conversions.