Today’s sports fans are less likely to watch through to the final whistle, let alone tune into the live broadcast at all. Increasingly, the most valuable fan interactions for rights holders are happening inside their mobile apps in the form of different types of content experiences. Two of the most popular forms of content are WSC Sports’ Stories and Moments (similar to shorts and reels), designed to capture attention and drive quick action from the fans consuming them.
We analyzed data from the world’s leading sports rights owners to see how fans really engage. The findings reveal a simple truth: when it comes to Stories and Moments, every second, every card, and every swipe-up matters.
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The strategic evolution of Stories
Over the past two years, Stories have emerged as a dominant experience for engaging users in owned and operated app environments. Their unique structure, built on “slides” that can be added as games progress, makes them perfectly suited for telling the story of the game — featuring highlights, and delivering all the content that has historically captivated sports fans.
This format has proven instrumental in driving higher app engagement and retention that contribute significantly to overall fan lifetime value, as well as performance across major sports properties.
The monetization power of Moments
The endless scrolling experience popularized by TikTok and adopted by Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, has opened new opportunities for sports rights holders to drive key performance indicators forward.
These vertical videos encourage users to dramatically increase the amount of time spent in apps, creating increased exposure to content that pays dividends in monetization opportunities.
Ads integrate seamlessly into scrolling experiences, while strategic CTAs can drive partnership content and in-app purchases for merchandise and event tickets (elements that also play a key role in Stories, too).
Additionally, this format's ability to tell non-linear stories, and deliver personalized content gives rights holders unlimited storytelling options. For example, showcasing non-game footage like locker room interviews, venue arrivals, press conferences, and lifestyle content expands your content portfolio — while giving fans the content they really love to engage with. Because data shows that this type of content actually performs best.
Now, let’s get into some of the other trends we uncovered.
So many stories, so little time
From 2024 to 2025, the average Story length dropped from an average of about 3 minutes and 20 seconds to 2 minutes and 56 seconds. That’s significant considering the short length of stories in general. The number of slides viewed per story fell even more dramatically, by an astounding 42%, signaling that fans aren’t sticking around for a long build-up, or shuffling back and forth between story slides. They’re either entertained or their swiping left…fast.
CTAs are the MVPs of engagement
Teams, leagues, and broadcasters are adopting In-App Stories not only to provide fans with entertaining content, but to take control of the fan journey. CTAs can be inserted into a story that lead the viewer to “Watch Live”, “Get Tickets”, "Place a Bet", and much more.
The text of a story CTA is only limited by its creator’s imagination. The key difference when it comes to In-App Stories, however, is that these CTAs actually provide results.
Compared to the industry benchmark of just 0.45%, In-App Story CTAs achieved a 12.3% click-through rate. That’s more than 25× higher.
And at the end of the day, we’re talking about something a lot more valuable than ‘clicks’. CTAs are the bridge from watching to acting, turning passive viewers into active fans who sign up, make purchases, and explore deeper content.
Pre-game is the biggest missed opportunity
Only 6% of stories are posted before games, yet they drive 2x the CTR compared to in-game posts. That pre-game window is when fans are buzzing with anticipation, and when they’re most likely to engage deeper.
Think about player arrivals, pre-game interviews, and warm-ups. These days, fans care as much about what their favorite player wears to the game as what they do once it starts. Yet, a third of pre-game stories still don’t include a CTA, leaving high-value content underutilized and potential revenue on the table.
Personalized and player-focused stories perform best
Completion rates climb as stories get shorter and more personal. Also noteworthy: player-centric stories lead the pack at 47% completion, outperforming stories focused on a game or team.
If you ask fans at sign-up who their favorite players are, then you’ve got the data you need to create at least one personal feed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create stories around other players who may not be as popular. Fans want to ‘get to know’ the athletes up close and in formats that feel direct and human.
Content like that helps them connect with a new player — it gives them a voice, a personality, and tells their story — and that opens new avenues of fandom.
Moments: The Endless Scrolling Experience for Your App
Designed for quick consumption and high engagement, Moments bring that familiar endless scroll experience — similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels —into owned apps. But with the added benefit of keeping fans, data, and monetization opportunities in-house.
The result: increased dwell time and more opportunities to monetize through ads, CTAs, or in-app purchases. Moments also create space to showcase content beyond the game; from stadium arrivals and locker room interviews to lifestyle stories and highlights that deepen fan connection.
For rights holders faced with limitations sharing in-game content, pre and post game footage become an even more essential part of the content strategy. And it’s a win-win because the data shows it’s a fan-favorite.
Fans love Moments, but are missing that next step
While the average length of Stories is decreasing, Moments are actually getting longer. Average length increased 7.5% to an average of 36 seconds — right in TikTok’s reported sweet spot for short-form video.
What’s most impressive is that fans are going back to rewatch these moments, which is good news if you’re a rights holder who hasn’t fully embraced this content format yet. Data shows that 19% of Moments are watched more than once by the same user, and that’s taking into account tens of millions of total views.
The area of improvement for rights holders is adding CTAs to this highly watched content. Data shows that less than half of all moments (43%) contained a CTA.
A new gameplan: what success with In-App experiences looks like?
The data we uncovered and analyzed leads to a new set of rules when it comes to engaging your fans on owned platforms:
- Keep Stories short, sharp, and front-loaded
- Treat the first card like the opening tip; it sets the tone
- Own the pre-game moment and make CTAs mandatory
- Lean into player-driven content for higher completion
- Use Moments to offer fans the endless scrolling experience fans love
Stories and Moments are powerful direct-to-fan tools you can use to take control of the fan journey. Those that master their structure, timing, and calls to action will keep fans watching and, just as importantly, clicking, connecting, and coming back for more.
