• by Jon Last , Columnist, February 10, 2026

Two months ago, in this space, I introduced a marketing construct, labeled “The Four E’s,” which identified specific consumer values that research showed to be of particular relevance to sports fans  today.  To briefly review, these were the pursuit of unique experiences, a push back from impersonal interaction towards more personalized and emotional connection, an eagerness for immediate gratification, and a sense of entitlement. 

But there’s another value that has been amplified of late in lockstep with a crowded playing field (pun intended) of “major” sporting events and related content and activations. That value, particularly with a shift in primacy to social media and short form, non-legacy channel delivery of this content, is a need for authenticity amid a heightened ambiguity driven by excessive hyperbole.  As sports media and properties vie for visibility they continue to supersize the implied significance of their offerings, and this often has the opposite effect than what is intended.

If every game is labeled as “one for the ages,” each upcoming rookie draft is purported to offer up “generational talents,” every major talking head suggests that a current player is “The GOAT,” these terms lose their meaning and fans can turn skeptical and distrusting of adjacent sponsor activations and claims.  We know that much of this clickbait is targeted to a more casual fan audience, as audience growth takes priority over the core fan base that is correctly seen as less of an attrition risk.  However, there are ultimately breaking points where the essence of what drew fans to engage at high levels can be eroded. 

It’s our belief that the coverage of certain sports has brought us precipitously close to this point.  Breaking the cardinal rule of research that advises against small convenience samples, I can say that the group of long-term fans I watched the Super Bowl with was reflective of this sentiment.  There was just too much noise and distracting spectacle around the game itself, to the point that it almost became unwatchable.

Our preoccupation with all things purportedly AI further fuels this credibility gap.  In research just released, 60% of sports fans said they had a difficult time knowing whether or not the videos that they watch on social media are “real or an A.I. creation.”  This begs for further validation and authenticity. 

Smart sports marketers can address this by going back to the basics that the “Four Es” construct has identified. Creating activations and connection points that are thoughtfully curated and pre-tested to validate their ability to resonate in believable and valued ways, will unharness the unique power of sports to foster the development of meaningful fan communities and break through the noise.