How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules of Sports Media by Antony Bennice
A LinkedIn piece from Locked On Sports looking at how young adults are shifting the focus on sports media fandom. Talking head shows on cable TV have faded in popularity as Gen Z consumers are seeking their sports content in TikToks, YouTube Shorts, and podcasts. According to a Deloitte report, 9 in 10 Gen Z sports fans are consuming content through social media. Locked On’s strategy to meet that moment is daily podcasts that focus on hyper-local content, with hosts embedded in their markets. Podcasts supported by a video strategy that leans into short-form content meeting Gen Z fans where they’re scrolling: Reels, TikTok, YouTube.
The Next Generation of Creativity: YouTube’s Culture & Trends Report
Continuing on the theme of Gen Z, Acorns head of marketing development Justin Johnson has a breakdown of YouTube’s latest report. 66% of 14-to-24-year-olds agree that people their age have a big impact on what people talk about online (compared to 49% for older adults). As Johnson points out, they’re also digital natives. Which means they’re fluent in a wide array of dialects, slang, and pop culture references. Meaning those who want to tap into that zeitgeist have to do so authentically, as simply parroting catchphrases months after they were relevant can be authenticity poison.
Transparency is fueling a surge in creators’ sponsorship rates by Alexander Lee
A significant development in the content creation process has been a culture of pay transparency between creators, with pay rates spreading through friend groups, colleagues, and outright networking sessions for content creators. Some like Sevensix Agency founder Charlotte Stavrou have taken to outright publishing reports on how much creators are being paid, though directly sharing pay rates can be a double-edged sword. While transparency empowers younger creators to not do several thousand dollars’ worth of work for a $200 gift card, publicly saying how much your last sponsorship paid means the negotiation ball is firmly not in their court when talking to the next brand.
On Air Fest Rebrands as On Air Presents, Expands Into Agency and Awards by Mark Stenberg
On Air Fest has shifted their branding to On Air Presents. With the rebranding, the annual Brooklyn edition of the actual festival called On Air Fest will continue, with On Air Fest L.A. coming back this November along with the awards ceremony The Ambies also now formally included under the On Air Presents banner. Going forward the parent brand On Air Presents will function as two connected businesses with one side running festivals and the Ambies and the other (On Air Studio, formerly Work x Work) will continue work as a creative agency.
As for the rest of the news…
- Podcast agency Chalk & Blade founder Ruth Barnes has announced the company is shutting down by the end of the fiscal year, sometime next March.
- The L.A. Times has a new limited series podcast investigating the scandal that ousted L.A. sheriff Lee Baca.
- The CBC has announced their Fall 2025 podcast slate
- AdWeek has an infographic charting the noticeable lack of opportunities for newer talent in advertising, with agencies seemingly not making room for younger workers.
- Beasley Media Group has signed a podcast agreement with Art19 to shift to Amazon’s podcast hosting infrastructure.
- Radiotopia and Talkhouse are set to co-produce an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame podcast hosted by Kathleen Hanna.
