Youtuber Manu Thiele: What Kind of Sports Journalism Does Gen Z Want?

Manu, what do you think is missing from sports reporting?

Manu Thiele: We need more tactics, more depth instead of tabloid journalism. When we talk about soccer, we talk a lot about transfer rumors and private lives, and very little about the sport itself. There’s a reluctance there. My community is around 14 to 35 years old and wants a certain objectivity.

Young people are mainly active on social media channels. What role do they play in sports journalism?

Manu: The great thing is that anyone can start a social media channel. And there are many opinionated people who not only present the facts, but with whom an audience can identify. I think that’s also the future of journalism. Every creator has character traits that clearly define them. For example, I stand for objectivity, neutrality, and nerd content. Today, many people no longer watch a specific channel; it’s more about the person who hosts a program. Incidentally, this also applies to soccer: today, you’re no longer a fan of a club, but of a player.

Doesn’t this strong opinion clash with the desire to reach as many people as possible?

Manu: The only thing that still works for the masses in soccer is live soccer on linear TV. There are also a lot of niches on all channels—some larger, some smaller. Everyone can pick and choose what they like. Perhaps the sum of these niches is the new mainstream, if such a thing still exists.

To what extent do you involve your community in your content?

Manu: I do that directly in the livestream. I could give a monologue, but that would get boring after a while. That’s why I pick up on the comments I get during the stream. And when my community sees that I’m interacting with them, it convinces them to tune in regularly.