YouTube‘s latest Culture and Trends Report includes some data-driven analysis about fandoms and the fans that drive them. One of the most fascinating findings comes from the first page of insights: 65% of Gen Z respondents self-identified as content creators.
That number is up 25% since YouTube last published its annual Trends Report. Like last year — when YouTube brought in Airrack to dissect its community — fandoms are the most consistent through-line in the report. “We’re seeing a fundamental shift in video viewership,” reads the preamble to the report. “Today, 89% of Gen Z describe themselves as a fan of someone or something. And as more people become engaged fans, fans have also moved from being consumers of culture to directly shaping it.”
To YouTube, fandoms are king, and YouTube is the place those fandoms go to engage with other aficionados. The Trends Report survey found that 73% of fans turn to YouTube for content about their fandoms. That figure is 32% higher than corresponding percentages on other platforms, YouTube claimed.
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YouTube’s report mentions plenty of creators and brands that exemplify the platform’s connections to global pop culture fandoms. Thanks to YouTube’s early successes with the NFL Sunday Ticket package, creator-led football content has exploded on the platform. With the next NFL season on the horizon, all 32 teams enjoyed strong returns on their tongue-in-cheek schedule release videos.
YouTube also noted that fan interest helped VivziePop land a deal with A24 for her animated program Hazbin Hotel. And indie projects like The Amazing Digital Circus have exploded in popularity by connecting with Gen Z and Gen Alpha fandoms.
The 2024 Culture and Trends Report includes specific recommendations for brands that want to hop onto the fandom bandwagon. Among other suggestions, YouTube advised brands to “empower fan creation, lean into fan communities, and show up where creators are.” Sponsors who heed that advice could become case studies in the 2025 Culture and Trends Report.
