May 21, 2026
Young digital consumption in international sports events
Marjory Bianca Martins de Moraes; José Eduardo Vilas Bôas
Summary prepared by the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by the Pecege Institute focused on synthesis and writing.
The consumption of digital content presents exponential growth driven by the popularization of social media and the expansion of internet access, which profoundly alters forms of information, communication, and entertainment, especially among younger generations (IAB Spain, 2025). Constant immersion in digital platforms allows the audience to consume diverse content formats, creating windows of opportunity for brands to be present in consumers’ daily lives through relevant productions connected to the audience’s emotions (Teixeira et al., 2019). This scenario is enhanced by the recurrent search for engagement and virality, phenomena that dictate the pace of contemporary content production (Berger, 2014). In a globalized context, large-scale international sporting events act as engagement catalysts, transforming into media events that impact millions of viewers simultaneously. Young people, specifically in the 20 to 24 age group, constitute a highly connected and influential segment in the dynamics of online interactions (PNAD Contínua, 2022). This audience demonstrates distinct consumption habits, prioritizing interactive formats such as short videos and memes, in addition to using alternative platforms for information seeking. Data indicate that TikTok is the preferred search tool for 64% of Generation Z, reiterating the importance of social media in young people’s lives (Adobe Express, 2024).
Brand relevance in this ecosystem depends on the ability to respond quickly to emerging trends, especially during high-visibility competitions. The distinction between being notable or invisible in the digital market is determined by strategic behavior on social networks (Godin, 2022). Fan engagement, a fundamental element of sports, finds in the internet an environment for close connection, requiring institutions to understand their followers’ format and consumption preferences (Yoshida et al., 2014). Systematic reviews indicate that platforms like X and Instagram are essential for real-time interactions and sharing sports-related content, signaling a structural shift in sports media consumption among young people (Einsle et al., 2023). A practical example of this influence occurred during the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, when a photograph of surfer Gabriel Medina generated spontaneous mobilization of users who requested the creation of themed products by stationery brands. The agility in responding to this digital demand reinforces how companies have opportunities for commercialization and emotional connection through social media during peak attention moments (Billings et al., 2014).
Youth digital behavior during these events is intrinsically linked to emotional and identity aspects, acting as a catalyst for collective expressions and feelings of belonging (Castells, 2011; Recuero, 2014). Social media operate as environments for participatory circulation, where users are not mere recipients but active producers who adapt and distribute content (Jenkins et al., 2013). Engagement transcends superficial actions, manifesting in the creation of memes, reaction videos, and spontaneous campaigns that influence media discourse and organizational actions. Given this panorama, it becomes imperative to identify the content consumption preferences of the young Brazilian audience, specifically between 18 and 25 years old, during major international sporting events, in order to understand the correlations between behavioral variables and digital marketing strategies.
The methodological foundation of this investigation is based on applied research, with a mixed approach combining quantitative and qualitative data, possessing a descriptive character to detail the characteristics of the target audience and the correlations between variables (Gil, 2008). The design involved field research with bibliographic research techniques, social listening, and the application of a structured questionnaire. The literature review allowed for the analysis of the current scenario and supported the construction of the data collection instruments, using 18 books and five articles published mainly between 2014 and 2025 (Marconi and Lakatos, 2017). The selection of sources prioritized recognized authors in the areas of marketing, communication, and scientific methodology, in addition to institutional reports from organizations such as IBGE and IAB Spain to ensure the currency of statistical data.
The social listening technique was employed to monitor online conversations and understand audience behavior on a large scale (Kotler et al., 2021). The Meltwater platform was used for extracting mentions and word clouds, focusing predominantly on X, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as news portals. The analysis period covered the Paris 2024 Olympics, the 2024 Skateboarding World Championships in São Paulo, and the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp. This choice allowed for observing the dynamics of interactions during peak engagement moments, identifying trending topics and audience perception of brands’ performance. The analysis combined the quantitative volume of mentions with the qualitative interpretation of the meaning attributed to digital conversations.
The primary data collection instrument consisted of a questionnaire structured in four distinct blocks. The first block characterized the sample’s sociodemographic profile; the second diagnosed the most used platforms and preferred formats; the third investigated the role of influencers and usage behavior; and the fourth mapped brand presence in the consumption ecosystem. The sample comprised 100 valid volunteers, all Brazilians aged 18 to 25 years. Data collection occurred between May and June 2025, using a non-probabilistic convenience snowball sampling technique, where initial participants forward access to the survey to their contact networks (Vinuto, 2014). The questionnaire was hosted on the Google Forms platform and underwent a validation stage with two volunteers to ensure the clarity of the questions and the functionality of the form.
Ethical procedures followed the guidelines of Resolution No. 510/2016, ensuring anonymity, free and informed consent, and the possibility of withdrawal at any time. Data analysis was performed using basic descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation in spreadsheet software, allowing for the investigation of relationships between sociodemographic variables and media consumption habits (Malhotra, 2019). The operational detailing of each stage aimed to ensure the scientific rigor necessary for interpreting the results and formulating conclusions applicable to the field of sports marketing.
The characterization of the sample reveals a predominantly female profile, representing 66% of respondents, all aged between 18 and 25 years. Regarding socioeconomic status, 42% have a family income between R$ 5,201 and R$ 13,000, while 68% are employed in the private sector. Education levels are high, with 48% having completed higher education and 19% pursuing postgraduate studies. Geographically, there is a massive concentration in the Southeast region, with 85% of participants, and 72% reside in metropolitan areas with over one million inhabitants. This data provides the necessary context to interpret the digital consumption preferences of an urban and educated youth.
Regarding the use of platforms to follow sports events, Instagram leads with 76% preference, followed by YouTube with 66%. Instagram usage focuses on features such as reels, stories, and static posts, while YouTube is sought for live broadcasts and detailed summaries. This complementarity suggests that young audiences alternate between short formats for quick consumption and long formats for in-depth engagement, aligning with the logic of user experience organization in audiovisual environments (Fuchs, 2024). X appears with 53% preference specifically for events, consolidating its historical role as a second screen for real-time comments and collective debates. In contrast, Facebook has a residual role of only 1%, being associated with specific social functions rather than live event tracking.
The analysis of general social media usage reveals that Instagram and WhatsApp have almost total penetration, with 98% and 97% daily use, respectively. However, behavior changes drastically when the focus is on sports. WhatsApp, although ubiquitous, is used by only 8.2% of young people to follow sports events, indicating that sports consumption in the digital environment is directed towards platforms that allow public interaction and visual media consumption, rather than private communications (Van Dijck et al., 2021). X shows the highest conversion rate for the sports theme, with 84.1% of its users using the network specifically for this purpose, which confirms the platform as the central hub of what is defined as networked sports media (Hutchins and Rowe, 2013).
The competition for attention between television and social media highlights the second screen phenomenon, with 36% of the audience using both media simultaneously. Although TV still holds a central role for 29% of young people, it is no longer the exclusive medium of experience. The increase in social media use during games by 28% of respondents fits into the concept of participatory culture, where the fan takes an active role in the digital stands (Jenkins et al., 2013). For the majority of 58%, usage remains stable, suggesting that social media is already so integrated into daily life that the sports event does not alter an already consolidated behavior of hyperconnectivity.
The moments of greatest interaction occur during and after competitions, reinforcing that young people collectively perform their sports experience. The most consumed content formats are short videos (88%) and memes (70%), while polls and quizzes arouse low interest, with only 10%. This demonstrates engagement driven by speed and virality, where shareable content has a greater capacity for circulation (Jenkins et al., 2013). The influence of content creators is perceived as moderate by 40% of the sample, indicating that, in sports, the influencer acts as a mediator and not as a substitute for the main spectacle. Notably, 72% of young people started following new profiles of athletes or teams after consuming viralized content, evidencing the power of networks in building identity bonds.
Within brands, 44% of respondents claim to have interacted with commercial content during events. The audience shows a preference for brands that use memes and humorous posts in real-time (23%), valuing authenticity and timeliness over traditional campaigns or reliance on influencers, which had only a 2% acceptance rate. Social listening corroborates these findings, revealing massive spikes in mentions during competition finals. At the 2024 Skateboarding World Championship, there was a 24,617% increase in the volume of conversations compared to the previous period, with terms like Rayssa Leal and football club hashtags dominating word clouds. At the Paris Olympics, the volume reached 533,000 mentions, with peaks on days of medal wins by athletes such as Rebeca Andrade and Gabriel Medina.
These social listening data reinforce the episodic nature of digital sports engagement, where content goes viral quickly and mobilizes massive flows of participation in short intervals (Hutchins and Rowe, 2013). The predominance of emojis and dynamic terms in word clouds confirms the preference for visual and emotional communication. The integration between questionnaire data and social listening allows us to conclude that youth engagement is driven by the need for active participation in a collective narrative, where social media functions as arenas for social interaction and meaning-making around the sports spectacle.
It is concluded that the objective was achieved, as it was identified that young Brazilians strategically and diversely use social media during international sports events, prioritizing Instagram and YouTube for audiovisual consumption and X for real-time interactions. The results show that dynamic formats, such as short videos and memes, are the main drivers of engagement, surpassing traditional interactive tools. The research highlights that the effectiveness of brands in this environment depends on adopting an authentic language, guided by humor and immediacy, organically inserting themselves into the audience’s spontaneous conversations. Although influencers play a complementary role, direct experience of the event and the virality of iconic moments are the determining factors for the formation of new follower and consumer relationships. The study’s limitations, such as the sample and temporal scope, suggest the need for future comparative investigations across different age groups and sports modalities to deepen the understanding of social viewing patterns in contemporary digital culture.
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