By Amar Singh, SVP - Content + Creative

We live in an age of instant gratification.

Streaming platforms offer a mind-boggling array of content, all available on demand. Amazon can deliver almost anything within a day. On social media, validation is just seconds away: post a Reel and watch the likes roll in, or endlessly swipe through TikTok until something earns your attention.

Psychiatrists suggest this behaviour encourages a pattern of constantly chasing quick rewards, making long-term fulfilment more elusive. Dr. Anna Lembke, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and expert on addiction and dopamine, explains:

“In today's world, we are constantly bombarded with opportunities for instant gratification. This can disrupt the balance between pleasure and pain, making it harder to find true satisfaction."

This cultural shift is most visible in Gen Z - people born between 1997 and 2012 - the first true generation of digital natives. Raised with the internet, smartphones, and social media, their expectations are shaped by speed, interactivity, and personalisation.

(Image: Unsplash, Rasheed Kemy)

And while often described as the "future" consumer, Gen Z is already very much the present - with the older segment now wielding purchasing power and commanding serious attention.

This is why consumption-based industries such as sport are increasingly fixated on understanding how to serve this generation.

But as they do, a question emerges: what does a compelling sporting experience look like for people raised in a world of infinite scrolls, ultra-fast delivery, and dopamine on demand?

Our Decoding 360 dataset - drawing insights from more than 10,000 sports and entertainment fans globally - reveals how Gen Z fandom diverges sharply from previous generations.

For starters, Gen Z are multi-screen natives. They are 33 per cent less likely to be fully absorbed by a live sports broadcast compared to older fans. They engage in bursts, expect rapid outcomes, and consume highlights almost as eagerly as the match itself.

Take cricket: Gen Z fans are 59 per cent more likely to favour the Indian Premier League (IPL) over traditional formats.

(Image: IPL)

The IPL is a masterclass in condensed spectacle:

• A boundary is hit roughly every 3 minutes

• A wicket falls approximately every 12–15 minutes

The rhythm is relentless, the entertainment value constant - perfectly suited to the impatient swipe of the modern fan.

Similarly, Baller League - a new six-a-side indoor football competition - is tailor-made for Gen Z eyeballs:

• Matches last just 30 minutes

• Gamified twists (e.g., long-range goals count double, teams shrink mid-game) keep the action dynamic

• The cast includes music artists, ex-footballers, YouTubers, and influencers

With YouTube stars like KSI, Chunkz, and Miniminter involved, Baller League isn't just a sporting format- it's culture.

(Image: Baller League)

Gen Z are more than twice as likely as older fans to follow sports via influencers or content creators, and 20 per cent more likely to follow teams on social media. They also consume fan-made content at far higher rates, with watchalongs, reaction videos, and memes forming a key part of the ecosystem.

Unsurprisingly, platforms like YouTube and Twitch are central to Baller League's strategy - delivering the action where Gen Z already lives.

This shift is fuelling a wave of disruptive, short-form sports leagues designed for the instant gratification era:

• TMRW Golf League (TGL): Backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, this two-hour, tech-driven golf league plays out in high-energy indoor arenas.

• BIG3: Created by rapper Ice Cube, it's 3-on-3 basketball on a half-court. First to 50 points wins.

• Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS): Time-limited sets, bonus cards, and mid-match coaching. Tennis reimagined for a Twitch generation.

• Fast5 Netball, Hockey5s, and others follow the same blueprint: less downtime, more action, and endless content opportunities.

These formats are built not just to be watched - but to be clipped, shared, and reposted across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.

The implications for brands are significant.

Short-form formats unlock opportunities for:

• Integrated branding through rule changes, power plays, or sponsored “moments”

• Platform-native content that travels fast and far

• Creator partnerships that connect directly with Gen Z audiences

• And most importantly, continuous engagement beyond the match itself

Whether you personally are sold on the long-term appeal of these formats or not, the insights that led to their emergence are clear. As a card-carrying member of Generation X (yes, I remember Blockbuster Video), YouTuber-dominated sport isn’t exactly my cup of tea.

But as a professional working in sports marketing, it’s impossible to ignore how sport is evolving, powered by shifting human behaviour.

The instant gratification era is reshaping how sport is consumed, packaged, and monetised. For younger fans, speed, entertainment, and relevance are non-negotiables.

Yet it’s worth pausing to consider what might be lost in this transformation.

The constant cycle of dopamine-driven rewards - quick highlights, viral moments, fast outcomes - risks further conditioning a generation to expect instant payoff in all aspects of life. And that has implications well beyond sport.

(Image: Unsplash, Florian Schmetz)

This dopamine loop may make it harder for young fans to engage in slower, more complex forms of entertainment or to find deep, long-term satisfaction in sport’s richer narratives.

Take the Premier League. It continues to thrive with young fans, not because it’s short form, but because it offers depth, tradition, and generational community. When Newcastle United ended a 70-year trophy drought, the meaning ran deep - a reward earned not in moments, but in decades.

Emerging short-form sports may struggle to replicate that sense of legacy. They’re exciting, but can feel fleeting.

For brands and sponsors, the challenge is clear: embrace innovation and short form energy, but avoid sacrificing the emotional richness and loyalty that make sport truly powerful.

Instant gratification is a powerful force - but if it becomes the only thing that matters, we risk building a sports culture high on highlights and low on meaning.

The future lies in balance: pairing fast, dopamine-fuelled entertainment with the enduring power of legacy sports that deliver more than just a momentary buzz.