WHY GEN Z VIEWS BASEBALL AS A VIBE
Gen Z has become a major audience watching and engaging with MLB games. Rather than considering it as a sports-fan-specific activity, Gen Z views baseball as a vibe. If you're wondering why this audience is so into the MLB, we've got you covered with this summary. While this may seem like an unpopular opinion at first, by the end of this post you’ll see it’s not.
🤝 THE MLB HAS STRATEGICALLY SELECTED THE RIGHT BRAND PARTNERSHIPS 🤝
+52% buzz about MLB collabs Y.o.Y.
Source: Brandwatch
Their partnerships department has been working overtime to select relevant and meaningful collaborations that will resonate with Gen Z. Some recent collabs include K-Pop band BTS, Off-White, Le Creuset, and Gucci (who was just named the world’s hottest brand of Q2 2022 by The Lyst Index).
🔥 THE MLB IS TAPPING INTO RELEVANT TIKTOK TRENDS 🔥
85% of the MLB's tiktok followers are Gen Z vs 76% of the NFL’s and 79% for the NBA.
Source: Trendpop
They are remaining top of mind as they’re quick to post content aligning with the latest trends. This feels off brand in a good way, as they're refreshing a slower-paced, outdated persona. Instead of sharing traditional highlight reels that are already covered by other sports media, they’re sharing BTS content, Gen-Z forward language, and even trolling their players.
🌶️ THE TRADE DEADLINES WERE EXTRA SPICY THIS SEASON 🌶️
14K tweets using #MLBTradeDeadline the day of.
Source: Brandwatch
The player trade deals this year were particularly interesting as some key players of the league had opposing views on taking the best deal vs staying on the team they like most. Not to mention Christian Vazquez, who walked in on one team and walked out on another… Yikes.
⚾ GEN Z ARE SEEKING WHOLESOME SENSES OF NOSTALGIA ⚾
74% say that going to baseball games brings back memories of their childhood.
Source: OnePulse
Culture is going through a resurgence of nostalgia in order to seek comfort and combat negative feelings (e.g. loneliness, uncertainty). For many, going to baseball games with their families when they were younger is a core memory. They are now seeking to recreate these experiences for a sense of stability and escapism.
🎟️ TICKET PRICES HAVE REMAINED ACCESSIBLE DURING THE CURRENT ECONOMY 🎟️
81% increase in searches for last minute MLB tickets Y.o.Y.
Source: GoogleTrends
With people trying to reign in their expenses while still having a good time on the weekend, baseball presents a great opportunity. There are plenty of cheap tickets being sold secondhand, as well as last minute ticket deals through apps like Gametime, allowing people to get more bang for their buck.
🌭 THE STADIUM VIBES ARE TRULY IMMACULATE 🌭
#1 favorite element of attending a game is the atmosphere…
Unsure why snacks wasn’t #1 but okay.
Source: Brandwatch
If you’ve been to a game then you already know how unmatched the atmosphere is, how tasty the hot dogs are, and how perfectly they pair with an iced cold beer. While the games are great, the social aspect is greater (kidding, but not really).
🗽 NEW YORK TEAMS ARE EXPERIENCING HIGH LEVELS OF SUCCESS 🗽
Both NY teams are in the TOP 5 for the season so far.
Source: ESPN
NYC is having a microculture moment, where diehard enthusiasm has begun to rub off on casual fans. With NYC being a tastemaker city and the Yankees and Mets doing so well (like, really well– both with records above .600), more people want to join in on the action.
Note: All social posts were sourced from Brandwatch
