Do Gen Z watch matches? Key insights from the GGBET panel at SBC Summit Ukraine

On May 27, the fifth All-Ukrainian sports marketing conference SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 was held at the Kyiv CEC "Parkovyi". The premium sponsor of the event, the betting brand GGBET, presented a panel discussion on the behavior and habits of Gen Z regarding watching sports events, content consumption, and sports spending. Speakers discussed the transformation of sports content, changes in audience habits, and new challenges in the struggle for their attention, UNN reports.

The discussion featured GGBET CEO Serhii Mishchenko, Tribuna.com editor-in-chief Oleh Shcherbakov, Adidas Ukraine director Ihor Marynych, and head of the media department of FC Polissya Oleksandr Fedoryshyn. The moderator was sports blogger Dmytro Povoroznyuk.

The GGBET brand presented the results of a sports audience study conducted among FC Polissya fans, GGBET users, subscribers of Tribuna.com and Sport Business Media, and Dmytro Povoroznyuk's audience. A total of 937 people participated in the survey.

First and foremost, the study debunked the common belief that the Gen Z generation, due to "clip thinking," almost never watches matches. According to the results, 54% of Gen Zers do not just watch matches, but do so regularly—several times a week or more. In this regard, they are almost no different from Millennials and Generation X.

At the same time, Gen Zers are the most active consumers of short-form content. They have the highest demand for a variety of content, particularly entertainment.

During the discussion, GGBET CEO Serhii Mishchenko shared three principles of content creation that the GGBET team formed after analyzing their own advertising campaigns. According to him, effective sports content today must meet three criteria: be exclusive, atypical, and timely.

"GGBET, as one of the top betting operators in Ukraine, produces and publishes a huge amount of content. The only way to attract and retain an audience is to constantly be within their information bubble. 

We present athletes as real people—just like the fans. We film quizzes, challenges, and Q&As with them—essentially showing what goes on behind the scenes," noted Serhii Mishchenko.

Other interesting insights from the study include:

• Online is the primary way of interacting with sports (94% of Gen Z, 96% of Millennials, and 94% of Generation X watch sports events online).
• Gen Zers are the most social offline: 37% want interaction with players, and for 65%, a match is a reason to spend time with friends. 
• Alternative broadcasts with streamers are in the lowest demand across all generations compared to other types of content.
• Only 16% of all respondents go to the stadium, but a significant portion of them do so regularly. 
• Gen Z is the only group to have subscriptions and content (33%) among their top sports expenditures.

The SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 conference brought together about 1,300 participants and over 60 speakers, including representatives of federations, brands, media, and sports organizations. The event served as a platform for discussing key trends in the sports industry, developing partnerships, communications, and interaction with the target audience.

21+

Advertising

PARTICIPATION IN GAMBLING CAN CAUSE GAMBLING ADDICTION. ADHERE TO THE RULES (PRINCIPLES) OF RESPONSIBLE GAMING.

GGBET LLC. License to conduct activities for the organization and conduct of betting activities dated 08/23/2023 (KRAIL decision dated 08/08/2023 No. 128). License to conduct activities for the organization and conduct of online casino gambling dated 08/23/2023 (KRAIL decision dated 08/08/2023 No. 129).