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The rise in esports and computer games doesnt necessarilly dictate the losing in popularity of conventional sports. ESPNs statistics can just as easily (with mo

The rise in esports and computer games doesnt necessarilly dictate the losing in popularity of conventional sports. ESPNs statistics can just as easily (with more evidence) be correllated by their focus on drama in sports. Ive seen numerous complaints about espns love of the kardashians or other non-sport related aspects. I dont think the tech industry or a rise in videogames is necessarilly a driver in popular culture. Sports stars are viewed as heroes and often are the subject of jealousy and interest while success in videogames Is associated to a sacrifice of health and looks. There also is fun/humorous cultish mentality related to sports. Instead its viewed as depressing to the point of mental illness. In sports, celebrating your team in a big way is celebrated in a way everyone can get involved. There is still a lot of good reasons why sports will not die and a lot of reasons why espn has activily repulsed its audience

qmalzp 10y ago
In addition to esports, I think there's just been a growth of more niche non-traditional pastimes due to technology allowing people with those interests to connect. An example I'm most familiar with is skateboarding. It's something I've followed since about 2000, and it's amazing how much it has grown in popularity over the last 10, much less 20 years. It's going to be in the Olympics in 2020! I think a large part of this growth is explained by how technology has enabled distribution. In the 90's, if you wanted to watch a skate video or see the state of the art of what pros were doing, you either saw the few photos which made it into a monthly magazine, or hoped the nearest skate shop got the latest videos (and by the way, the nearest skate shop might be hours away if you don't live near a major city, esp. outside the US). Nowadays, you follow your favorite pros on Instagram or Snapchat and you can literally see what they did that day. "Team" videos are largely a thing of the past, as a single rider can finish filming whenever he feels like it, and distribute his footage via iTunes for $3.99. You can imagine something like this would be economically infeasible in the days of VHS/DVD. Going back, I suspect my friends and I in the rural midwest would have lost interest if we hadn't been able to download hundreds of videos off Napster/Kazaa in the early 00's :)
duaneb 10y ago
It's definitely not just esports. I've noticed more people in their twenties are getting into football (soccer) and x-games style alternative sports. I don't see the domination of NFL, NBA, and MLB continuing for many future generations. College sports completely baffle me.
- dajohnson89 10y ago
  Most cities don't have a local pro sports team, but have a local college team. Being able to go to the stadium of the club you support is a big deal.

qmalzp 10y ago

In addition to esports, I think there's just been a growth of more niche non-traditional pastimes due to technology allowing people with those interests to connect. An example I'm most familiar with is skateboarding. It's something I've followed since about 2000, and it's amazing how much it has grown in popularity over the last 10, much less 20 years. It's going to be in the Olympics in 2020! I think a large part of this growth is explained by how technology has enabled distribution. In the 90's, if you wanted to watch a skate video or see the state of the art of what pros were doing, you either saw the few photos which made it into a monthly magazine, or hoped the nearest skate shop got the latest videos (and by the way, the nearest skate shop might be hours away if you don't live near a major city, esp. outside the US). Nowadays, you follow your favorite pros on Instagram or Snapchat and you can literally see what they did that day. "Team" videos are largely a thing of the past, as a single rider can finish filming whenever he feels like it, and distribute his footage via iTunes for $3.99. You can imagine something like this would be economically infeasible in the days of VHS/DVD. Going back, I suspect my friends and I in the rural midwest would have lost interest if we hadn't been able to download hundreds of videos off Napster/Kazaa in the early 00's :)

duaneb 10y ago

It's definitely not just esports. I've noticed more people in their twenties are getting into football (soccer) and x-games style alternative sports. I don't see the domination of NFL, NBA, and MLB continuing for many future generations. College sports completely baffle me.

dajohnson89 10y ago
Most cities don't have a local pro sports team, but have a local college team. Being able to go to the stadium of the club you support is a big deal.