UP524 Sleepwalking to Irrelevance: Content and fandom in the age of the For You algorithm

 The shift from follower-based to interest-based algorithms around 2020-21 fundamentally changed sports content strategy. TikTok pioneered this approach, now adopted across all platforms, meaning subscriber counts no longer guarantee reach. Ronaldo"s YouTube channel illustrates this perfectly: 70 million subscribers, but views suggest his content rarely appears in their feeds. This creates both threat and opportunity. Niche sports can now reach audiences who never followed them, provided they create content worth saving and sharing.  According to a new WSC Sports report, generational consumption patterns diverge significantly. Millennials (30-44) remain the commercial core, subscribing to streaming services and spending money, with 49% watching sports daily. Gen Z (18-29) prioritise athletes over clubs, consume highlights as main courses rather than appetisers, and expect creator-led content as standard.  Click the following link to download the WSC 2025-26 Generational Fan Study:  Link here suggests sports organisations must serve millennials commercially while using athlete-driven short-form content to pull Gen Z into the funnel. Platform strategies require nuance. YouTube stands alone in surfacing legacy content and rewarding both short and long form. LinkedIn rewards value and second-party connections. All short-form platforms prioritise completion rates and session time. The universal principle: content that earns saves and shares wins. The panel argues the next frontier isn"t more content but smarter content. Personalisation remains undersold and poorly executed. Sports organisations drowning audiences in irrelevant material generate views without revenue. The alternative: create relevant content for defined audience segments, build high-trust communities through private channels, and accept that owned platforms remain difficult but the component pieces now exist to construct effective ecosystems without going it alone. today we"re talking about the for You algorithm and its impact on how sports organizations reach their audiences. The social media platforms. Have shifted from follower based to interest based algorithms fundamentally changing sports content strategy. TikTok pioneered the approach now adopted across all of the major social platforms, meaning that subs Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who"s who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.