Key Takeaways
-Format follows fan behavior: Vertical, short-form, real-time video is now table stakes. Anything else feels outdated.
-Automation lets you do more with the team you have: Rights holders are meeting fan demand without growing teams, by automating every step of creation and distribution.
-More content equals more value: Every fan experience and highlight is a new monetization surface, a new engagement moment, and a signal fans can act on.
Sports content isn’t just evolving, it’s transforming. What used to be a “postgame” moment is now a mobile, real-time, fan-first experience. For rights holders, this shift is existential. If leagues, teams and broadcasters don’t adapt to short-form, vertical, and instant content delivery, they’re not in the game.
The Largest Real-Time Lens on Fan Behavior in Sports
This report is based on over 8 million videos generated through the WSC Sports platform in the first half of 2025. That scale gives us a unique window into how sports content is shifting, across formats, platforms, and fan expectations, and how the world’s top rights holders are adapting.
The Game Has Changed. Here’s the Data.
Vertical video is the new default: Over 5 million vertical videos were created in H1, a massive 87.5% year-over-year increase. For the first time ever, vertical formats now make up the majority of all content (63%). TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels aren’t extras, they’re the front door to sports fandom.
Real-time content is the baseline: 3.5 million videos were published in real time, up 19% from H1 2024. Fans expect content now, not later. Teams, leagues, and broadcasters are adjusting or getting left behind.
Shorter wins: The average video length dropped 13%, to just over one minute. Fans want fast, snackable, algorithm-friendly stories, not traditional highlight reels.
Output is exploding: WSC Sports partners created over 8 million videos in six months, a 52% year-over-year increase. Content teams are scaling massively without adding headcount, using automation to match the speed and scale of modern fandom.
Recommendations for Rights Holders
-Design for mobile-first, real-time platforms, not just postgame recaps: Your fans live on TikTok, Shorts, and Reels. Meet them there in real time.
-Automate the obvious to focus on the exceptional: Use AI to handle volume, so your teams can spend time on storytelling, branding, and innovation.
-Use content to create signals, not just moments: Every clip is a data point. Turn engagement into insight, and insight into monetization.
