Sociable: YouTube Focuses on Sports Creators, Analyzing New Brand Collaboration Opportunities
Amid the buzz of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, YouTube for Business released a report indicating that sports creators are becoming a key bridge for brand partnerships. The report shows that 66% of Gen Z sports fans turn to YouTube for related content before and after watching live events, and it highlights creator case studies such as Haaland and Rachel DeMita, while also introducing collaboration methods like Takeovers and YouTube Select Line-ups.
"Sociable" is the latest commentary on important social media developments and trends by industry expert Andrew Hutchinson (from Social Media Today).
Amid the fervent atmosphere of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, YouTube for Business released a report focusing on the rising influence of sports creators on the platform. The study also explores how sports influencers bring positive benefits to brand collaboration campaigns.
In YouTube's latest Creator Pulse overview, it not only lists some of the most successful sports creator cases but also provides practical guidance for brands on how to establish collaborations with sports creators.
According to YouTube: "Among surveyed Gen Z sports fans, 66% said they enjoy watching content on YouTube before and after live sporting events—the 'surround sound' of the game has become an important part of fan culture."
To support this point, YouTube specifically mentioned Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland, highlighting him as a key creator with potential collaboration exposure value on the platform.
Haaland is already an established creator on YouTube, with 3.29 million subscribers, and regularly posts updates to engage with fans.
YouTube also mentioned social media personality, sports commentator, and former college basketball player Rachel DeMita as a typical example of an athlete using YouTube to build a personal media platform.
The report emphasizes YouTube's value as a key connector among sports fans, which may inspire marketers with more creative ways to leverage this opportunity to drive their own promotional campaigns.
YouTube stated that brands can collaborate with sports influencers through various advertising options, such as Takeovers (allowing brands to pay for customized messages from creators) and YouTube Select Line-ups (supporting ad placement alongside some of the platform's top content).
YouTube also added that it introduced additional sports categories to its Select lineups in October.
Sports remain an important connecting link among billions of people, so the marketing opportunities associated with them are significant.