Photo by Tim Gouw

The sports world is splitting in two directions: the rise of new, entertainment-first formats and the record-breaking growth of traditional sports leagues (think NFL and WNBA).

This dynamic forces all leagues and media partners to question how to best engage audiences. In this report, we answer this question by quantifying viewers’ “joy gap,” which is the difference between the experience fans have and the one they truly want.

By analyzing fan preferences for game length, pace, and access, The Joy Rematch answers:

  1. How far should we bend the game to fit modern attention?
  2. When does spectacle help, and when does it break trust?
  3. How much access and interactivity do fans really want?
2026/01/cover-1.jpg

Download the report.

Discover what modern fans want from the sports they watch.