Sport has a potential problem brewing.
For the last decade, sports rights holders have largely followed the same youth engagement playbook. Create short-form content, distribute it through social platforms and convert attention into fandom.
If the UK moves ahead with restrictions on social media access for under-16s, that playbook may need rewriting.
For many leagues, clubs and governing bodies, social media has become the primary route to reaching younger audiences. Highlights, behind-the-scenes content and creator-led storytelling have all played a role in introducing sports to future fans. If access to those platforms changes, the question becomes much bigger than social media itself.
How does sport continue to build visibility, affinity and long-term fandom among the next generation?
There is an upside worth acknowledging. Less screen time could mean more time playing sports. That is good for participation, good for grassroots pipelines and good for long-term fandom. The relationship between playing and following a sport is well established. People who take part tend to stick around as fans. That part of the ecosystem may get a quiet boost. Increased participation would be a welcome outcome. The relationship between playing and following sport is well established. People who participate are more likely to become lifelong fans, which could strengthen the entire sports ecosystem over time.
Even with that grassroots growth, visibility still matters. Affinity does not just appear. It is built through stories, personalities and repeated exposure. If social is no longer doing that job for under-16s, rights holders need to rethink the mix.
“The real question is n’t whether podcasting replaces social media. It’s whether sport needs a broader mix of channels to build fandom in a post-social-first world”
This is where podcasting starts to become an interesting part of the conversation.
Let’s be realistic. A generation raised on 20-second clips is not suddenly going to swap that for a 30-minute deep dive tactical show on a Tuesday afternoon. But to dismiss podcasts on that basis misses the bigger shift already happening in audio among younger audiences. Podcasting is not a direct replacement for social media. It doesn’t offer the same scale, speed or discoverability. But it does offer something increasingly valuable: sustained attention.
More importantly, children are not passive listeners. They are highly engaged audiences. According to Edison Research and NPR’s The Spoken Word Audio Report, the Kids & Family podcast category has grown by around 20% since 2019.
In the US, almost half of children aged 3-12 now listen to podcasts every week, according to research highlighted by Inside Audio Marketing. That starts to look a lot like the early days of YouTube adoption, just without the screen.
There is also a commercial opportunity that both rights holders and brands should pay attention to.
Research from Realm found that 82% of children’s podcast listening happens alongside a parent. For rights holders and brands alike, that level of shared attention is difficult to ignore. When children and parents listen together, brands are not simply reaching a younger audience. They are reaching family decision-makers at the same time. In a fragmented media landscape, that level of shared attention is increasingly difficult to find.
Crucially, the format aligns surprisingly well with what we know about engaging younger fans beyond social media. Strip it back and the playbook has always been about authentic connection and immersive experiences. Audio does both if you use it properly.
Think about what kids actually want. Stories. Characters. Entertainment first, information second. Sport has an endless supply of that. Origin stories of athletes, behind-the-scenes moments, fictionalised storytelling around real competitions, simple explainers that make complex sports accessible. These are not new ideas, but they are underused in an audio-first world.
The interesting part is just how empty the space currently is.
There are podcasts about youth sport aimed at adults, sport talks constantly about creating the next generation of fans, yet there are remarkably few sports podcasts built specifically for children. Most youth sport content is aimed at parents, coaches or participants. Very little is designed primarily to entertain and engage young listeners themselves.
For rights holders looking for genuine white space, opportunities this obvious are rare.
If rights holders want to explore this opportunity, the content strategy needs to be different. Short episodic formats. Recurring characters. Interactive elements. Companion content linked to participation and grassroots programmes. Audio that can live on smart speakers, in the car, and yes, still on mobile devices, even if social apps are off-limits.
Podcasting will not replace social media, nor should it be expected to. But it can offer something social platforms often struggle to create: deeper relationships built through habit, storytelling and regular engagement.
But it does offer something those platforms never really could. Depth. Habit. A different kind of relationship that is built over time rather than in fleeting moments.
It’s rare that Rights Holders can lead a content revolution, but the opportunity is clear. They have the access, content and resources to service a niche that is only going to grow as a result of these new laws.
The social media ban may force a reset. That is uncomfortable, but it is also where interesting things tend to happen. Audio will not solve everything, but for those willing to experiment, it may become a valuable piece of the puzzle in reaching the next generation of sports fans.
Sources
About the Author
Jim Salveson, Director of Sport, Sport Social Podcast Network, Europe’s largest sports podcast network. With over 25 years’ experience in the UK’s audio and podcasting industry, he leads Sport Social Studios’ production division, working with global rights holders, brands and elite sporting talent to create and execute high-impact podcast strategies.