How to Connect with the Next Generation of Fandom
EA Sports FC 25 (Source: EA)
One of the main themes across C Space sessions at CES 2026 is fandom. Why? Because it’s one of the brightest spots in the consumer and media landscapes.
“We’re all facing challenges in reaching, influencing, and engaging the core audiences we need to because of media fragmentation,” according to WPP Media U.S. Chief Client Officer Nancy Hall. And fandom is an answer to those challenges. Fandom, she said, is the convergence of “identity, community, culture, and commerce. If we can understand and embrace it, then we will be able to influence and engage with those fans … which will translate to sales.”
Hall moderated a panel tackling the topic of the next generation of fans at the WPP Media Lounge on Tuesday, driving a conversation with Alex Morgan, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist, Julie Foster, SVP & Managing Director of EA Experiences at Electronic Arts, and Ryu Yokoi, Chief Media & Marketing Capability Officer, NA at Unilever.
Fandom is crucial to understanding Gen Z and Gen Alpha. According to research fielded by WPP’s Ogilvy:
86% of Gen Z identify as fans
81% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha say they prefer to be identified by their interests
75% of young fans say they’re more likely to consider purchasing from a brand that tastefully sponsors the content they like
They also navigate fandom differently than prior generations. Unilever’s Yokoi said he’s been struck by “the extent to which people are interacting with sports from such different angles.” Previous sports fans were people who went to stadiums and watched on broadcast. “Today you have fans who are in it solely for highlights, people who get to them from video games … people get into it because of the fashion. … It is so much more complex, but also a huge opportunity”
EA’s Julie Foster echoed that sentiment. “As Gen Z and Gen Alpha continue to get older … it is just so clear that they have zero reservation moving between digital and real-life spaces very seamlessly. They don’t put a value of one more than the other.”
She added, “We see people who become fans of a sport and actually learn how to play the sport from our games. … The depth of engagement is massive. It’s really not passive anymore. People want more interactivity.” And, she added, a lot of fans are open to brand activations. She cited an eMarketer study that found that 71% of gamers said they trust a brand more if they do a gaming partnership. “If you have an interest or passion and a brand shows up in that space, you’re like ‘Oh they get me.’”
And Alex Morgan noted how the virtual world is driving progress in the real world, particularly in regards to women in sports. Women’s leagues around the world, she said, “have had 5, 10 years to grow” (with the National Women’s Soccer League clocking in at 14 years old). “So to see EA putting women in the game and the response that they’ve had… More people know my signature celebrations because of [EA’s] FC [games] than because of real life,” she said, adding that “I feel that I have a brand behind me that believes in this league, in this national team, in myself.”
Fandom also lets brand connect to new audiences with established messaging. Yokoi pointed out that while Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign is now over two decades old and familiar with women of all ages, bringing its messaging into tentpole events like the Super Bowl has seen it resonate with fathers of girls.
Making the connection
So how can brands connect better with next gen fans?
Authenticity. Not a surprising answer, necessarily. But Morgan made clear that “collaboration between the athlete and the brand is really important.”
Real-world activations. All four panelists noted that despite spending so much time in digital and social realms, younger fans crave real-world interaction.
Make things better. This might sound like a different way of saying embracing purpose. But it goes beyond things like boosting body image or making more room for women’s sports leagues. As a passionate soccer fan, one thing Yokoi brings to his marketing activations is that “we want to show up in a way that makes the experience of attending better.” One series of activations he described was as simple as making events smell better. Big sporting events and concerts, he noted, don’t always “smell that great.” So the opportunity for Unilever’s deodorant brands was “to show up and help people have an experience where they can enjoy themselves and feel confident.” After success with sampling on a Charlie XCX tour and Coachella, the next stop for this effort is the World Cup. “We want to make this the freshest World Cup ever,” he said.