Boston Consulting Group’s December 2025 gaming report, the Aspen Institute’s State of Play and SFIA’s 2025 participation data provide current data on how the $263 billion gaming industry and $54+ billion youth sports market overlap.
In December 2025, Boston Consulting Group released its Video Gaming Report 2026, surveying 2,972 gamers globally between July 9-18, 2025. The report provides data on gaming habits, platform preferences, and demographic trends across generations.
Combined with the Aspen Institute’s State of Play 2025 report on youth sports participation and SFIA’s 2025 participation data, these sources offer a current view of how children and families allocate time between gaming and sports.
Both industries are growing. According to the data, gaming and youth sports participation are not mutually exclusive, the same families participating in youth sports are also engaged in gaming.
According to BCG’s report, global video gaming revenue reached $263 billion in 2025, with projections of $353 billion by 2030 at a 6% compound annual growth rate. The U.S. youth sports market is valued at $54+ billion according to the Aspen Institute, with some market research firms projecting growth to $114 billion by 2032.
The BCG survey included questions to gaming parents about their children’s gaming habits. The findings:
Age of First Gaming Experience
According to BCG’s survey, 44% of children begin playing video games by age 5, and 77% have started by age 7. This age range overlaps with when many children begin organized sports participation.
The three most common first games reported were Minecraft (20%), Super Mario series (18%), and Roblox (15%). Two of these three, Minecraft and Roblox are user-generated content platforms.
Parental Role in Gaming Introduction
The BCG survey found that 57% of children are introduced to video games by their parents or guardians. This mirrors patterns in youth sports, where parental involvement drives initial participation.
Gaming Time by Generation
BCG’s survey found that 55% of gamers increased their gaming time over the previous six months. Weekly gaming hours by generation:
- Gen Z: 28% play less than 1 hour/week; 32% play 5-10 hours; 14% play 10-20 hours
- Millennials: 25% play less than 1 hour/week; 33% play 5-10 hours; 21% play 10-20 hours
- Baby Boomers: 40% play 5+ hours weekly
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children ages 8-18 in the United States spend an average of 7.5 hours per day on screens, including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, TVs, and computers.
Common Sense Media’s 2025 census on media use by children ages 0-8 found average daily screen time of 2 hours and 27 minutes in 2024, up from 2 hours and 24 minutes in 2020. Gaming time specifically increased from 23 minutes daily in 2020 to 38 minutes in 2024. Boys averaged 2 hours 38 minutes of daily screen time compared to 2 hours 7 minutes for girls.
For comparison, the Aspen Institute’s State of Play 2025 reports that 55.4% of youth ages 6-17 participated in organized sports in 2023 according to the National Survey of Children’s Health. SFIA data shows 65% of youth ages 6-17 tried sports at least once in 2024, the highest rate recorded since at least 2012.
BCG’s survey data on primary gaming platforms by generation:
- Gen Alpha and Gen Z: Console-dominant, with PlayStation and Nintendo Switch as primary platforms for more than 50%
- Gen X: 37% mobile, 24% PC
- Baby Boomers: 55% mobile
Millennials and Gen Alpha show similar platform preferences, with PlayStation as the leading platform for both groups. Millennials are now parents of Gen Alpha children.
In a January 2025 CNN interview, former NBA player and 2016 champion Channing Frye estimated that “75% of guys [in the NBA] play video games.” He cited specific players: “Devin Booker, KD, all those guys are playing Call of Duty. I think Luka [Dončić] is like a diamond or a platinum [ranking] in Overwatch.”
In the same CNN report, former NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner Terrence Ross estimated the number at “at least 80%,” attributing it to younger players “naturally growing up on the PlayStation, Xbox.”
The CNN article also reported that LeBron James revealed in October 2024 that he is ranked among the top 100 players globally in Madden NFL 25. Frye confirmed: “LeBron really is that good at Madden.”
Other documented athlete-gamers include NBA star Gordon Hayward, who joined an IGN Pro League in 2011, and NBA player Devin Booker, who won the NBA 2K20 Players Tournament charity esports event in 2020.
Challenges Identified in the Data
- Time allocation: Children’s daily screen time (7.5 hours average for ages 8-18 per AACAP) represents hours not available for sports practice or play.
- Attention patterns: Common Sense Media reported that short-form video consumption among children 0-8 increased from 1 minute daily in 2020 to 14 minutes in 2024.
- Cost sensitivity: BCG found that 75%+ of gamers say price heavily impacts purchase decisions. The Aspen Institute reported youth sports family spending increased 46% since 2019.
- Live-service preference: BCG data shows 56% of Gen Alpha and 52% of Gen Z prefer live-service games over single-player experiences.
Areas of Overlap and Opportunity
- Esports integration: The NBA operates the NBA 2K League in partnership with Take-Two Interactive. FIFA operates the eWorld Cup. These provide models for sports organizations to engage gaming audiences.
- UGC platform engagement: BCG reports that Roblox paid creators $923 million in 2024 and Fortnite paid $352 million. Both platforms have integrated sports content and athlete partnerships.
- Brand crossover: Fortnite has featured athlete skins including LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and Naomi Osaka. Call of Duty has featured Kevin Durant and Lionel Messi.
- Parent engagement channel: With 57% of children introduced to gaming by parents (BCG), the same parents are accessible through gaming platforms and communities.
BCG’s report identifies five characteristics expected to define the gaming industry by 2030:
- Content volume: AI tools will increase the volume of game releases, making discovery and curation more important for platforms.
- Cloud gaming growth: BCG projects cloud gaming users to grow from 5 million (2025) to 65 million (2030), with revenue growing from $1.4 billion to $18.3 billion.
- Cross-platform access: Players will expect game progress and libraries to follow them across devices.
- Creator economy expansion: Combined Roblox and Fortnite creator payouts expected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2025.
- Value distribution shifts: Revenue distribution will shift among publishers, infrastructure providers, cloud platforms, and storefronts.
The BCG, Aspen Institute and SFIA data indicates that gaming and youth sports serve overlapping populations:
- Youth sports participation reached 65% casual participation in 2024, the highest since at least 2012 (SFIA).
- 77% of children have started gaming by age 7, with 57% introduced by parents (BCG).
- Professional athletes across multiple sports report regular gaming activity.
- Both industries show growth projections through 2030.
Youth sports operators compete for finite family time alongside gaming, streaming, and other activities. Understanding where these audiences overlap and how gaming platforms engage families provides data points for programming and engagement decisions.
Sources and Methodology
Gaming industry data: Boston Consulting Group Video Gaming Report 2026. Survey of 2,972 global gamers conducted online via Dynata, July 9-18, 2025.
U.S. youth gaming participation: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, October 2024 (45.7 million children ages 5-18, 80%+ participation rate); Pew Research Center survey of 1,423 U.S. teens ages 13-17, September-October 2023, published May 2024 (85% participation rate).
Youth sports participation: Aspen Institute State of Play 2025; Sports & Fitness Industry Association 2025 Topline Report; National Survey of Children’s Health 2023 (27.3 million youth ages 6-17, 55.4% participation rate).
Screen time data: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Common Sense Media 2025 Census (survey of 1,578 parents of children ages 0-8, August 2024).
Athlete gaming data: CNN Sport interview with Channing Frye and Terrence Ross, published January 6, 2025.
Photos: calhisports.com , call of duty YouTube
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