How Gen Z could throw TV football into an existential crisis

Gaming has also grown in popularity, with 56pc of UK adults and 91pc of 3 to 15-year-olds playing on devices either on or offline last year.

As a result, sport is competing in an increasingly fractured media landscape that is shifting further and further from live TV.

This is perhaps most markedly clear in the declining viewing for highlights shows, as the proliferation of video clips on social media means fans are able to access the best moments almost instantly.

There is also a growing threat from streaming services, which are increasingly moving into sport as subscriber growth falters. Amazon Prime has previously dipped its toe in the pool with Premier League rights, while Netflix last month inked a deal to show NFL games on Christmas Day.

So far, sport has not migrated to streaming at the same rate as other content genres, while the rights to many major tournaments including the Euros are protected by the listed events regime in the UK.

Yet broadcasters – and the sporting world more widely – cannot ignore the shifts in viewing habits.

Brought up on a diet of short-form video, the notoriously short attention span of the average Gen Z viewer makes the prospect of a 90-minute football match less appealing. Ofcom research has shown young people have a tendency for “second screening” – scrolling through their phone while watching something else.

Meanwhile, the growth in gaming has also shifted viewers’ relationship with sport. Games such as FIFA and Fantasy Premier League have boosted engagement in team selection, but given young people more affiliation with individual star players than national teams.

As a result, football and TV executives are facing existential questions over how to keep audiences engaged beyond simply broadcasting 90 minutes of action.

For their part, ITV and the BBC are attempting to draw viewers to their streaming services with exclusive content such as documentaries and replays of classic matches, while also stepping up their output on social media.

The Euros may provide a short-term boost to live viewing figures but experts warn that younger audiences will never return to TV in the numbers they once did.

“Gen Z value social content and sports narrative as much as the actual live match,” says Whittaker. “The Euros will be a very big test.”