Why sports fans are showing up on YouTube
Everyone’s talking about YouTube these days. We get it.
It’s the channel of the moment, and for very good reason. But it's still vastly misunderstood. Success on YouTube isn’t all about the content. It’s about understanding why fans show up on the platform, and the human truths that keep them watching.
Scott, our Chief Strategy Director, weighs in on what this actually means for sports brands today—and how we help them turn YouTube into their most powerful channel.
Paul and Scott in the thick of it.
YouTube is now the go-to destination for sports content. As the world’s second-largest search engine and the leading long-form streaming platform, it offers unmatched discoverability, depth of engagement, and brand-building potential. For decades, sports fandom revolved around linear broadcasts, glossy studio shows, and the ritual of scheduled TV. But sport has moved on. And fans are moving with it.
Today, sports culture thrives on YouTube, where fans stream highlights on the big screen, scroll through Shorts on mobile, and discover athletes, teams, and leagues from every corner of the globe.
And for sports brands and rights holders, this shift opens up a whole new playing field.
Why YouTube?
Over one billion hours of YouTube content is watched daily on TVs. It’s now the home of unfiltered moments, post-race emotion, behind-the-scenes energy and athlete-led storytelling that fans actively seek out.
The stats:
30% surge in TV-based sports consumption on YouTube in the last year
12.4% total share of TV viewing in the US now goes to YouTube (Nielsen, May 2025)
70% of watch time is driven by algorithm recommendations
The return to this popularity in lean-back viewing has seen brands and rightsholders stepping into the role of broadcasters, and we believe have the potential to completely shake up the sports rights ecosystem.
At Cut Media, we've created some of the platform’s most groundbreaking sports content and built high-performing, culturally relevant channels for brands from the ground up. With deep audience insight and proven algorithm expertise, we know how to discover the human truths in sport and turn them into content that fans genuinely care about.
The opportunity
YouTube just celebrated its 20th birthday, and a lot has changed since the first upload. Yet many brands still treat it like a dumping ground for clips, posting and ghosting without fully appreciating the platform's true potential.
The difference between uploading content to YouTube and creating content for YouTube is absolutely everything.
The brands winning today don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. They understand that success can come in many forms—different creative approaches, formats, budgets, and production values. The beauty of YouTube is that there’s room for brands to show up in multiple ways. You just need a consistent, developing strategy that delivers real value to fans, fits their culture, and builds a loyal, engaged community.
Just being on YouTube today isn’t enough. You have to show up with purpose.
How YouTube is shaping sports culture
When comparing traditional TV broadcasting with YouTube as a platform for sports, the differences are striking.
It’s democratic: Anyone from athletes, leagues, fans, and brands can share their story
It’s interactive: Fans engage, comment, share, and shape the narrative in real time—this doesn’t happen with the passive, one-way communication model of traditional broadcasting
It’s accessible: Free from geographical restrictions (mostly), with no paywalls or gatekeeping
It’s more human: YouTube is where the human truths in sport come to life. Fans crave relatability, and it’s so much easier to find here.
While traditional broadcasters may hold exclusive rights to certain events, YouTube is becoming a goldmine for league-owned channels. Where TV is polished and structured, sport on YouTube is raw, real, and relatable. And that’s exactly what today’s fans crave.
People give sports their soul with unique stories, individuality, and unfiltered moments that no script could ever capture. Those are the human truths that make this platform so powerful.
What this means for brands today
To connect with today’s fans, brands need a channel-first mindset, not just a highlight reel approach. It’s all about nurturing a community and providing long-term value.
That’s exactly what we’ve done with Grand Slam Track. As their YouTube partner agency, we’ve helped build and nurture their YouTube ecosystem—driving audience growth, shaping strategy, optimising the channel, and making sure every piece of content delivers value for the brand, the athletes, and the sport.
Across the first two Slam weekends in Kingston and Miami, our main-channel YouTube content delivered unprecedented results:
46 videos published
14k new subscribers (+332%)
12M+ impressions
1.8M channel views
2:12 average view duration—real signs of strong engagement
8% average click-through rate
68% of views on top content came via YouTube’s browse feature.
Image credit: Grand Slam Track
Winning on YouTube
The most successful sports brands on YouTube behave like creators. They’re showing up consistently, tapping into the emotions of both the athletes and the fans, and fully understanding the rhythms of the platform.
Or they collaborate with an agency like ours that knows the ropes.
Smart brands are building channels that fans choose to engage with and follow, rather than stumbling upon them while searching for quick highlights.
Image credit: Grand Slam Track
Where we come in
YouTube is our bread and butter:
Native platform strategy: Organic content designed for discovery and retention
Editorial thinking: Storytelling around what drives athletic passion
Credibility in sport: We understand what makes athletes, fans, and sports culture tick
Results-driven: Pushing creative and strategic boundaries to ensure our partners’ messages stand out and make an impact
At the heart of every sport lies a universal human truth—the kind that turns entertainment into something unforgettable. We know how to uncover these truths, unlock their potential, and turn them into creative rocket fuel. It’s how we bring sport to life like no one else can.
YouTube is where sports fandom thrives today. If you’re serious about showing up where your fans are and standing out, you need a partner agency that knows the platform inside and out.
Interested to learn more? Let’s chat.
