Three Trends Shaping Sport in 2026

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Sport is entering a defining moment. Shaped by shifting audiences, accelerating technology and a new generation of athletes, the industry is evolving faster than ever. As 2026 approaches, three powerful trends are already emerging. The brands, rights holders and organisations that act now will be the ones that shape what comes next.

Women’s Sport Is Surging

Once an afterthought for brands testing the sponsorship waters, women’s sport has forced its way into the spotlight. Athletes at the top of their respective disciplines are finally being given the platforms their talents deserve and the commercial impact is now impossible to ignore. A recent report by SportPro revealed four of the world’s 10 most marketable athletes are women, reflecting a broader surge in value across the industry.

Incredible stories, personalities and quirks once overshadowed by a male-dominated landscape are finally shaping the wider conversation - female athletes are trend setters and tastemakers. This momentum is most noticeable on digital platforms. In 2025, engagement with women’s sport exploded, boasting a 60% increase on TikTok and a 55% increase on YouTube – outperforming men’s sport on both channels.

A more progressive model is also beginning to emerge, where men’s and women’s sports teams operate side-by-side, each with a distinct audience, identity and commercial role. This is where the real opportunity lies in 2026 – male and female teams creating shared value through clearly defined and complimentary USPs. Brands need to move quickly to create legacy partnerships and build meaningful relationships with a new demographic of sports fans. For those brands still hesitating, our advice is simple – the future of sport starts today, not tomorrow.

AI Continues to Change the Sporting World

This will come as no surprise, but artificial intelligence is here to stay. Over the past few years, it has evolved from an emerging technology into a powerful tool that is reshaping how sport is played, managed and consumed. It may not always be visible to the untrained eye, but its influence is now embedded across the sporting landscape, quietly redefining performance at every level.

Real-time, in-depth statistics have improved the way we experience sport; clubs are better equipped than ever to ensure their star players are protected from injury; and managers are running out of excuses as AI platforms increasingly inform substitutions, tactics and formation changes that can mean the difference between relegation and survival. The great AI race will continue to intensify in 2026. The teams, leagues and brands that invest early (and intelligently) won’t just keep pace, they’ll set it.

Gen-Z & Gen Alpha Call the Shots

Whether you like it or not, traditional forms of sports broadcasting are on the way out – gone are the days when broadcasting giants dictated when and how we consume our favourite matches, tournaments and events. The more digitally aware, mobile-first generations have spoken and they want unrivalled access and deeper connections. Thanks to the algorithms behind our favourite apps, we have all become accustomed to seeing what we want, when we want.

As a result, sporting content is evolving to meet these expectations. Abbreviated highlight packages, tailored interfaces, data-rich storytelling and flexibility are the foundation of modern consumption. Legacy broadcasters are trying to adapt, but the question remains: will they adapt fast enough?

Every week, it seems like a new streaming service is dipping its toes into the vast ocean of sports media. Increasingly, it is the platforms that have already earned the trust of the next generation of viewers - such as Netflix and other digital-first giants - that appear best positioned to lead the next phase of growth. The battle for our attention has long been underway, but 2026 may prove pivotal in determining which companies truly shape the future of sports media.