The NBA insists different metrics are needed to measure modern sports fandom than traditional Nielsen ratings as Millennials and Generation Z are more receptive to shorter videos on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat than they are a long televised game.

Generation Z, loosely defined as those born between 1996 and 2009, still identify as sports fans at a 96 percent clip, but the share of those who call themselves "avid" has dropped. 

Sports executives “haven’t paid enough attention yet to this generation, and they have to,” said Mark Beal, an assistant professor at the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information who has written two books on Gen Z. “They need to prioritize them because these are the sports fans of the future that over the next 10 to 15 years can make or break a sports team, league or manufacturer. This is your most important consumer, and they’ll determine your future success.”

Forty percent of the NBA's core fan base is under 35 and it has 148 million followers across the major social media platforms, more than the other U.S. leagues combined.

“The challenge isn’t about finding Gen Z,” said Kate Jhaveri, the NBA’s chief marketing officer. “It’s about attracting and keeping their attention.”

While the NBA's ratings for The Finals were down, the NBA's videos have been viewed 13.2 billion times on social media, which is more than those of the other major leagues combined.

“Gaining and retaining young people is key to future-proofing the NFL,” NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis said in a recent interview. “So when we look at that generation, I personally look at it as the lifeblood and health of the brand and our business.”