Labelled as “the most disruptive generation ever”, Generation Z pose massive obstacles to broadcasters and content creators alike with their radically different thinking from other generations.
Gen Z has the fastest growing spending power of any generation ever, adding $9 Trillion to the global economy by 2034.
85% of Gen Z use short-form content to find long-form content they will watch later.
70% of Gen Z joined a community for a feeling of belonging.
41% of Gen Z will provide data to receive personalised experiences, and 62% are willing to pay to receive personalisation.
80% of viewers use another screen while watching live sports to search out player stats, message other fans, and watch videos.
– Ed Abis, CEO of Dizplai
Time never stops moving, and the children of today are quickly becoming the adults of tomorrow, and Gen Z are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
With Gen Alpha’s era finishing at the end of 2024 and Generation Beta becoming the newest generation from 2025 onward1, it’s apparent that Generation Z are no longer children, they’re working, earning and spending money, and most importantly (for you) consuming content.
Generation Z is the first generation of digital natives2, also known as the first generation who grew up with the Internet, computers and technology at their fingertips, creating a unique challenge for broadcasters and content creators alike when it comes to engaging and targeting this cohort of individuals.
Although this may seem like a small issue, the impact of not tailoring your content to Gen Z may be severe for you and your partners. It’s been reported that over the next 10 years, Gen Z will have the fastest-growing spending power out of any generation we’ve ever seen, adding $9 Trillion in spending globally by 20343, and in the UK alone, this demographic is expected to contribute to 39% of retail spending by 20304. Demonstrating this is not a problem that can be ignored.
Alongside their digital savviness and their big spending, Gen Z presents another much greater issue to traditional entertainment: they are quickly turning away from TV broadcasts and turning to their native devices for entertainment. With the weekly reach of traditional broadcasts falling record amounts over the last year5 and with Gen Z watching nearly 80% less television than Baby Boomers6, unless broadcasters begin to connect with this generation, they may lose their attention and subsequently future generation’s attention permanently.
Gen Z presents unique challenges for everyone working in the content and entertainment space. As the first digitally native generation they represent a cultural shift in values, and if you don’t conform, you may lose their business permanently.
Gen Z aren’t afraid to tell you what they want, all you have to do is listen to them. We’ve broken down some of their core traits, behaviours and media habits to make your life that little bit easier, so let’s get into it.
One of the most prominent traits of Gen Z is their desire for brands and the content they consume to be authentic, and they have no problem spotting companies trying to pull the wool over their eyes with phoney social initiatives. In 2021, Ernst and Young found that 92% of this generation value being “authentic and true to oneself”7 and that’s reflected in the brands they choose to support.
Edelman’s studies support this idea, with 67% of respondents being more willing to stay loyal and advocate brands they trust8. However, you cannot take advantage of their trust. If they deem your brand to not be genuine, 60% of Gen Z will cease to interact with your brand permanently9.
As the most individualistic generation ever 10, it comes as a shock that one of Gen Z’s core traits is the idea of belonging to a community of like-minded individuals, with one study finding that 70% of respondents joined a community for a feeling of belonging11. As content owners and distributors, you can utilise their chronic online habits to use community platforms such as Discord and Reddit to create a safe space where your community can interact with one another. From a business perspective, communities provide value further than keeping customers happy, with 66% of businesses claiming their community has an impact on customer retention12, it’s clear Gen Z’s desire for community translates into value for your brand.
One of the most popular characteristics you see of Gen Z is their “8-second attention span”13. Although this is over exaggerated, the point still stands that capturing Gen Z’s attention is hard, and holding it is even harder.
An interesting finding from Google comes from the idea that Gen Z uses short-form content as a form of research for their future content consumption, with 85% of respondents saying they use short-form content to find long-form content they will watch later14.
Labelled as “the most disruptive generation ever” by the Bank of America15. It’s clear Gen Z have radically different beliefs, thoughts and feelings to previous generations, with some values clearly standing above the rest.
It’s important your brand aligns with Gen Z’s values as 40% of this generation is willing to boycott a brand16 and 86% of UK Gen Z shoppers have already walked away from a brand because they heard or experienced something they disagree with17.
With 67% of Gen Z saying climate change should be a top priority for political leaders18, it’s clear this generation strongly believes in sustainability and protecting our planet for future generations.
Over half of Gen Z and Millennials expect businesses to take a stronger stance on social issues19. So, it’s crucial companies are clear about how they feel on issues, allowing them to build stronger connections with their audience.
Gen Z’s new, disruptive characteristics and values pose challenges to broadcasters, and this translates into their actions as well.
They’re constantly consuming content, sometimes on more than one screen at once, and it’s crucial you understand how they behave in order to contact Generation Z at the right place, at the right time.
One interesting Gen Z behavioural trend is that 83% of Gen Z use multiple screens at once20, highlighting their preference to multitask with their content consumption, whether that be gaming and watching a video, or scrolling on Instagram whilst listening to a podcast.
This highlights the importance of taking an omnichannel approach to your content as Gen Z are more than comfortable navigating multiple platforms and mediums at once.
Personalisation used to be a “nice to have” for consumers, but for Gen Z, it’s a massive differentiator for the content they consume and what they purchase. For example, 41% of Gen Z will provide their data in exchange for personalised experiences21, and 62% are willing to pay to receive these experiences21.
Gen Z take word-of-mouth recommendations to new levels through the digital world, helping to establish the term “Overheard word of mouth”, which references recommending a product or service as a result of hearing someone you don’t know positively review something22.
30% of Generation Z have made these kind of recommendations, whereas only 23% of Millennials, 16% of Gen X, and 13% of Boomers have made similar recommendations22, highlighting the importance of receiving and making recommendations to Gen Z; making it a crucial touchpoint to convince Gen Z to consume your content.
TechCrunch found that 40% of Gen Z prefer to use social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram over Google when looking for information and recommendations23, further highlighting the importance of creating a strong social media presence to attract this generation to your content and getting your audience to create UGC content and recommendations.
Now we’ve explored some of Gen Z’s behaviours, now we can get started on the stuff you really care about: How Generation Z consume content.
You may notice a common theme with this generation, they’re radically different to anything broadcasters and content creators have ever seen before! Their platforms of choice are different, they demand more from content producers, and they want to consume content and make purchases when it’s convenient for them, and we promise you, there’s no point trying to convince them otherwise, so you need to get with the programme.
As mentioned in Ofcom’s Media Nations Report, Gen Z’s consumption of traditional TV is falling rapidly, with less than half of 16-24-year-olds watching broadcast TV in an average week5.
Although Gen Z are no longer watching television, their time-consuming content has moved to the World Wide Web, with 9 out of 10 US adults spending at least an hour on social media daily23.
As you’d expect from the first digitally native generation, they spend a significant amount of time online, spending up to 6 hours a day on the web24, highlighting this isn’t an opportunity traditional broadcasters can miss. Interestingly, Gen Z’s favourite place to spend time online is YouTube24, despite claims Generation Z cannot engage with long-form content.
Alongside their preference for consuming social media over live TV, even when Gen Z want to consume live content, they still turn to social media, with a study of over 2000 Zoomers demonstrating they would still opt to watch YouTube Live, Instagram Live, or TikTok live streams25. Showcasing that they’re willing to watch long-form content if the content aligns with Generation Z’s vision of themselves and they deem it to be authentic.
Another key element of Gen Z’s media habits is a strong desire for interactive content, with 93% of the generation expressing interest in this content format26, with the Idomoo CMO, Yotam Ben Ami, saying data suggests businesses who engage with this format will build brand loyalty and boost their bottom line27.
Interactivity can come in a number of formats within live content, such as polls, audience Q&As, or even something as simple as providing a chat for your audience to discuss your content. The era of passively watching content is over; fans crave media experiences they can mould and shape as they see fit through their contributions to content, extending their engagement and bringing them into your owned brand community.
As we highlighted earlier in the report, Gen Z are losing interest in traditional broadcasting5, and one of the factors influencing TV’s decline is the rigid programming schedule. As of May 2023, 46% of Gen Z watch video streaming services daily28, they want to be entertained at their own convenience, and they’re willing to compromise on some of their other expectations to receive this.
88% of Gen Z consumers engage with ad-supported video streaming services29, demonstrating Gen Z’s willingness to consume advertisements in exchange for on-demand content at their disposal. This is supported by traditional UK broadcaster, ITV’s meteoric on-demand rise as they increased the usage of their OTT streaming platform by 87.5% between 2022 and 202330.
Rather than creating an entirely new platform for your content, broadcasters can utilise YouTube to release additional content to fans, creating another avenue to monetise content and with 89.3% of Gen Z using the platform23, utilising the video sharing platform isn’t an opportunity that can be missed.
Social commerce refers to making a direct purchase through social media, and it’s quickly become a rising trend amongst Gen Z, with 66% of Zoomers making a purchase directly through social media31. Although social commerce is difficult to implement for traditional broadcasters, payment links are a more than viable alternative.
A payment link, also known as “pay by link”, allows customers to click a link (or scan a QR code), where they are taken to a checkout page to finalise purchase32. Payment links are a powerful tool to target Generation Z and millennial audiences, with 49% and 51% of the generations engaging with QR codes on a weekly basis33. QR codes create seamless buying experiences where fans can go directly to purchase without being directed away from your content, allowing you to maximise the monetisation of your production without losing any of your audience’s attention.
Winning back the attention of Gen Z means rethinking the playbook. This generation, raised in the digital age, has reshaped how we interact with content, favouring authenticity, creativity, and experiences that feel personal. They’re not just watching—they’re engaging, creating, and expecting brands to meet these high standards.
Connecting with Gen Z is not about being louder than the competition; it’s about being smarter, more relatable, and in tune with what matters to them. In this section, we’ll explore practical strategies to grab and hold their attention, helping you to stay in touch with what your audience wants.
As discussed within Gen Z’s media habits, this generation craves meaningful experiences which allow them to interact with the content they consume.
One of the best examples of the power of interactivity and personalisation comes from Mark Goldbridge and how he built one of the biggest fan-led digital ecosystems around the globe.
Mark leveraged his live chat, allowing fans to pay for super chats where fans can comment or ask questions to the on-screen talent. This high level of interactivity allows Mark to build connections with his audience, creating a powerful, active community – and the stats don’t lie.
On the 4th of December, both The United Stand and The Overlap went live, with the latter utilising some of the biggest names in football, such as Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, and Ian Wright34.
Both live streams were monumental successes, but they took slightly different approaches to their content, with Mark focusing on interactivity and responding to his audience, and it was clearly effective as his viewership skyrocketed35. Highlighting how fans value the high level of interactivity and personalisation his streams provide.
With Gen Z’s desire for authentic content that aligns with their vision of themselves, broadcasters can leverage user-generated content (UGC) to connect with audiences, with 61% of Gen Z preferring UGC significantly more than other content types36; broadcasters cannot ignore this opportunity.
Furthermore, Gen Z is more than happy to make the UGC content for you; they just want some direction! 53% of consumers want to be told exactly what to do from brands, and 42% want brands to share examples of photos and videos that help guide consumers in creating UGC content37, so spend some time making a clear brief for your audience, and wait for the organic content to start rolling in!
Broadcasters can work alongside their brand partners to create powerful UGC campaigns that maximise the value of their content and bring value to their partners, all whilst creating an immersive, fun experience for the audience, it’s an everybody-wins situation!
Another key strategy you can use to capture Gen Z’s attention is through the use of influencers. Of course, this is old news to brands, but what you may not know is choosing a smaller influencer may be the best way to capture the attention and hearts of your audience.
One of the best examples of a brand utilising influencers is seen in the NFL’s expansion into the UK, as they brought Ellie Collins and Joe Beya into their latest show, the Weekly Blitz38.
Micro-influencers, or influencers with a following between 10,000 – 100,000 followers39, are often extremely active within certain niches such as sports, fashion, gaming, etc. Creating a perfect blend of expertise and relatability, and the audience agrees. 70% of people trust micro-influencers more than celebrities40, and 82% of consumers admit they’re more likely to follow the recommendations of a micro-celebrity over more prominent influencers41, so remember, more followers, doesn’t necessarily translate to better content, or better results.
Gen Z are a pragmatic generation2. They’re a realistic generation who ground their thoughts in fact, not theory and as a result, statistics are an integral part of any content they consume, but it’s particularly important in sports.
Google found that 80% of sports viewers use a computer or smartphone while watching live sports, to search out player stats, message other fans, and watch related videos42. Showcasing the desire of sports fans to receive further information within broadcasts. By integrating data into your stream, you remove your audience’s biggest distraction (their phones), maximising engagement with your content.
Sources
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