As your sports bar well knows, football reigns as king among the most followed sport by adult sports fans. And it’s been like that for decades now. According to a recent Statista survey, more than three-quarters of US adults who generally follow sports said they follow football (77%), putting it far ahead of basketball at 59% of respondents. Meanwhile, baseball — aka “America’s pastime” — hovers at 50%.

These numbers probably aren’t too surprising to your sports bar. Football season has always been the best season for our industry. But these figures don’t tell the whole story.

In fact, interest in football declines sharply the younger the sports fan gets. So, while Gen X and Boomers are very much into football (88%), that plummets as we move through Millennials and into Gen Z, as this infographic shows.

Infographic: Fan Appeal: Could Basketball Kick Football off its Throne? | Statista

Meanwhile, interest in basketball spikes the younger the sports fan is. Nearly two-thirds of sports fans age 18-24 (65%) watch and follow basketball regularly. Compare that to just 48% of adult sports fans age 55-64.

That’s a helluva seesaw.

Why Do Younger Fans Like Basketball More than Football?

Gen Z young adults playing pickup basketball

An excellent question, huh?

To start, Statista thinks the format of football just doesn’t resonate with the pace of like younger fans are accustomed to.

“With game times of around three hours that aren’t exactly action-packed, NFL games just aren’t ideally suited for younger consumers who are no longer used to pay attention to anything for that long,” the report reads. Meanwhile, “the NBA has been quicker to embrace the change in sports consumption, catering to an audience that is more likely to watch highlight clips on social media than sitting through entire games on ESPN.”

Perhaps true. Gen Z also prefers shorter movies.

But we don’t think that’s the whole story. It’s not just the length of games and level of action. Basketball is also more accessible. It’s easier to pick up, learn, and play with friends, making it a stronger connection to young fans at an earlier age.

Basketball, specifically the NBA, has also been more willing to embrace taking stances on social issues, which strongly resonates with younger fans who are a “high-values” cohort. Meanwhile, the NFL looks for ways of distancing itself or stifling anything that faintly smells of politics.

And lastly, basketball also embraces, highlights, and promotes their top talent and personalities. Meanwhile, football gives theirs penalties for “celebrating too much.”

Basically, one sport is embracing the future while the other is trying to hold onto the past.

Operators should also know that interest in sports among Gen Z is in steep decline compared to their elders. However, they have a much higher interest in gaming and eSports. So, sports bars looking to court Gen Z as they hit of-age should look for ways of incorporating gaming into the mix.

What All This Means for Sports Bars

Young Gen Z basketball fan holding a basketball and on his phone while at a sports pub.

First off, don’t worry about moving away from football anytime soon, if at all. It’s amazingly popular with your average guest and will remain so for a good while longer. Boomers and Gen X love it and even Millennials still favor football over basketball, though the gap is smaller. So, keep showing football every Thursday through Monday during the fall and winter, and use the SportsTV Guide to help you navigate the numerous games and channels.

But you should also take into account your guest demographics and preferences. How old are they and what sports do they actually like following? If you’re unsure, you can run something as simple as an online poll (promote via email and social) to gauge folks’ interest. Or you can build entire customer personas to get a better understanding of who your guests truly are.

Either way, you’ll get an idea of exactly what sort of sports and entertainment options your guests prefer. They may even like some more lesser-known sports you haven’t considered showing.

If your demographic runs on the younger side, make sure you’re highlighting basketball on your TVs as often as you can. You may even want to consider running game days for big basketball games you want your guests to know about just like you would with football. Follow the same recipe you use for football game days and make any tweaks you think are necessary.

The good news is that football and basketball scheduling doesn’t conflict too often, so you can easily highlight both at your sports bar. And if/when the games do, it’s easy enough to show multiple games throughout your bar.