Baseball, a sport full of longstanding traditions, has been plagued by an aging fan base. According to ESPN, it currently has the oldest fan base among mainstream professional sports, with the median age of a fan pegged at 53 years old. In comparison, the median age for the NFL is 47 years old, and 37 years old for the NBA, which has managed to keep its audience age stagnant.
Not only does the MLB have the oldest fans, but this number continues to get older as the years go by. According to Nielsen ratings, 50 percent of baseball viewers are 55 or older, up 41 percent from 10 years ago.
“If baseball does nothing, they’ll probably stay flat for another 10 years,” Rich Luker, a psychologist and sports researcher who has run ESPN’s polling for two decades, told the Washington Post in a recent interview. “But 20 years from now, they’ll be moving to a secondary position in American life, doomed to irrelevance like Tower Records or Blockbuster Video.”
Some point to the decline in Little League participation as a cause, since those who are less likely to go to games as a kid are also less likely to attend as adults.
Read MoreBaseball, a sport full of longstanding traditions, has been plagued by an aging fan base. According to ESPN, it currently has the oldest fan base among mainstream professional sports, with the median age of a fan pegged at 53 years old. In comparison, the median age for the NFL is 47 years old, and 37 years old for the NBA, which has managed to keep its audience age stagnant.
Not only does the MLB have the oldest fans, but this number continues to get older as the years go by. According to Nielsen ratings, 50 percent of baseball viewers are 55 or older, up 41 percent from 10 years ago.
“If baseball does nothing, they’ll probably stay flat for another 10 years,” Rich Luker, a psychologist and sports researcher who has run ESPN’s polling for two decades, told the Washington Post in a recent interview. “But 20 years from now, they’ll be moving to a secondary position in American life, doomed to irrelevance like Tower Records or Blockbuster Video.”
Some point to the decline in Little League participation as a cause, since those who are less likely to go to games as a kid are also less likely to attend as adults. A poll conducted by the MLB supports this, with 70 percent of fans, 12 to 17 years old, citing “playing the sport” as a big factor in building their interest for watching and attending a sporting event.
Other likely factors contributing to the decline in adolescence interest include slow game play with less minute-by-minute action than other sports; fewer local, informal youth baseball leagues that have been replaced with elite, traveling leagues; more options fighting for their attention (e.g., gaming) and a fragmented media landscape.
Due to this, teams are quickly making changes to try and generate interest among the younger crowd. The Boston Red Sox eliminated the $30 membership fee for Kid Nation, its official fan club for those 14 and under. MLB research also found that those who attend games as a child are 2.9 times more likely to become a “core” fan later on, or at least take their own kids to an annual game or two. And in order to further prove the family-friendly experience, the organization has also taken the opportunity to invite “mom bloggers” to partake in various events such as field-side yoga.
Taking advantage of digital media is clearly going to be a crucial part of how baseball involves the next generation of fans. For proof, look no further than the fact that for many teams, the most active group of social followers range in age from 18 to 24, according to social analytics firm Klear. Evidently, this is the audience that the league, teams and sports marketers need to engage in the coming years.
Working to keep up with this digital push, the MLB is dedicating attention to its online entities such as the At Bat app, which offers fans live scores, news, statistics and league standings for their favorite teams. The premium version provides live look-ins and access to radio broadcasts. It has remained the top grossing sports app for the last seven years and the number one sports app overall for the last four years.
Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) is also paving new digital roads for the organization. The online interactive brand of the league operates the official website and the 30 club websites via MLB.com, drawing 4 million hits per day. It offers news, standings, statistics and schedules, and paying subscribers also have access to live broadcasts. In addition, MLBAM runs other digital efforts including social media and Statcast (real-time statistics), as well as managing ticket sales.
The MLB also extended their partnership with fantasy sports operator, DraftKings, in 2015. The multi-year deal makes DraftKings the “Official Daily Fantasy Game” at the league level, and additionally allows its participation at the club level. This means DraftKings can develop partnerships with individual teams to offer in-stadium experiences and contesting at various ballparks. The MLB views this involvement with fantasy sports as another way to engage with younger fans.
So what does this mean for advertising?
Despite the aging fan base argument, baseball is not going away. The sport will continue as one of the top major league sports in the U.S. While overall league attendance was down 1.1 percent versus one year ago, 2016 was the sport’s eleventh highest year for attendance (73,159,044 fans across 30 teams during the regular season).
The league and various clubs continue to make advancements to connect and engage with their fan bases, regardless of generation. Brands that are interested in a MLB partnership have several options at the national or local level. The main angle to keep in mind is that in order to create lasting brand equity, advertisers should strive to reach MLB fans across in-stadium, broadcast and digital media properties. The good news for marketers? Brands looking to tap into the next generation of baseball fans will be welcomed with open arms, since the MLB is proactively cultivating these opportunities through their most recent efforts and media partnerships.