5 ms·

Anecdotally, I feel football is gradually losing ground among younger generations. My sports-watching-est friends seem to be less and less devoted to football i

by XaspR8d 10y ago

Anecdotally, I feel football is gradually losing ground among younger generations. My sports-watching-est friends seem to be less and less devoted to football in particular and more interested in other, more niche sports. Even those strongly allegiant to football are less insistent on catching many individual games real-time as they are staying informed about the league overall and watching highlights or stream or DVR when they can.

k-mcgrady 10y ago
Interested to know the niche sports you're finding people showing interest in.
- robotmlg 10y ago
  NBC Sports's Super Bowl counter-programming was curling
  - jeron 10y ago
    was it seriously? I guess the people who weren't watching the super bowl (the Canadians) would enjoy it...
    - flukus 10y ago
      I like my action sports, but I do find curling really compelling to watch, it's extremely tactical. Curling is the only sport I care about in the winter olympics.
- ThrustVectoring 10y ago
  Australian Rules Football is fantastic to watch, IMO.
- seppin 10y ago
  soccer. no ads except for half time
  - k-mcgrady 10y ago
    ...I wouldn't call (arguably) the most popular sport in the world niche.
    - mwfunk 10y ago
      It is (also arguably) a niche in the US. My totally subjective perception is that it's been on an upswing here for many years, and in a few more years will be up to the popularity level of basketball and hockey at least.
  - felipemnoa 10y ago
    I guess you consider it niche in the USA but soccer is the most popular game world wide[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football
    - gozur88 10y ago
      It's definitely niche in the US.
      - groby_b 10y ago
        As long as you define "US" as "white, male, >25". It's popular with women. It's popular with kids (age 12-17, more popular than MLB). It's popular with the latino population.
        gozur88 10y ago
        Not really. They can't get people to watch it on TV, which is why it doesn't make any money.
        JBlue42 10y ago
        https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/sports/soccer/nbc-retains-rights-to-premier-league-in-six-year-deal.html https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/sports/soccer/nbc-retains... Two years of success broadcasting England’s Premier League proved a basic truth to NBC Sports: It would have to pay a lot more to keep carrying the league’s games. Now it will. Under a six-year agreement announced Monday that starts next season and is worth about $1 billion, NBC retained the rights to the Premier League through the 2021-22 season.
wnevets 10y ago
I used to love watching football but I have grown to hate TV ads with a passion. I had to quit watching after draftkings was everywhere.
- azinman2 10y ago
  Aren't the ads the appeal to many to watch the Super Bowl in the first place?
  - city41 10y ago
    Nowadays, if the ads are your draw, just watching them on YouTube is a lot easier.
    - PirateDave 10y ago
      Right. You used to have to see the ads during the actual game, but now they show the ads that will be shown during the game during the "news" in a "you have to watch these ads" segment.
      - wnevets 10y ago
        or even before the super bowl.
    - azinman2 10y ago
      I bet some significant portion of the Super Bowl audience is not watching alone... I partially rationalize going to a super bowl party _because_ at least I get to watch the ads. On my own I'm watching neither.
forgetsusername 10y ago
The NFL nailed it with Sunday games (although more and more are added to the schedule). It allowed you to to follow the sport closely without memorizing a team schedule, and every fan had the day off from work to watch. I wish more sports followed that system. It was easy to get into. I still enjoy watching the game, but sadly it's become a sport I watch but won't play (or have my kids play).
Spooky23 10y ago
Plus kids are being discouraged from play. My guess that beyond the South, football programs will start shutting down in the next decade due to liability.
kneel 10y ago
The younger generations don't purchase cable television. It's netflix and youtube for almost all video. The NFL comes with a heavy price that most consumers won't pay unless it comes in a standard package. NFL needs to end their exclusive deals with satellite providers and find a mainstream platform to stream on if they're going to be relevant in the future.
- douche 10y ago
  The NFL is the only reason I still have cable tv. If I could get any kind of reception for over-the-air TV, I'd dump the basic package I still have, but I'm just far enough away from where Fox, CBS and NBC locals broadcast from to make that practical.
  - kneel 10y ago
    The amount of money you have to pay to watch any game you want is unreasonable. $360 for Sunday games, 40-70? for cable if you don't have reception for prime time games. 150-200 for the NFL network for Thursday night games. Luckily nfl2go exists. If you're worried that route you can just proxy out of the US and buy NFL gamepass, they're still getting their money. Although not as much as their rip off exclusive satellite deals.

by XaspR8d 10y ago

k-mcgrady 10y ago

Interested to know the niche sports you're finding people showing interest in.

robotmlg 10y ago
NBC Sports's Super Bowl counter-programming was curling
- jeron 10y ago
  was it seriously? I guess the people who weren't watching the super bowl (the Canadians) would enjoy it...
  - flukus 10y ago
    I like my action sports, but I do find curling really compelling to watch, it's extremely tactical. Curling is the only sport I care about in the winter olympics.
ThrustVectoring 10y ago
Australian Rules Football is fantastic to watch, IMO.
seppin 10y ago
soccer. no ads except for half time
- k-mcgrady 10y ago
  ...I wouldn't call (arguably) the most popular sport in the world niche.
  - mwfunk 10y ago
    It is (also arguably) a niche in the US. My totally subjective perception is that it's been on an upswing here for many years, and in a few more years will be up to the popularity level of basketball and hockey at least.
- felipemnoa 10y ago
  I guess you consider it niche in the USA but soccer is the most popular game world wide[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football
  - gozur88 10y ago
    It's definitely niche in the US.
    - groby_b 10y ago
      As long as you define "US" as "white, male, >25". It's popular with women. It's popular with kids (age 12-17, more popular than MLB). It's popular with the latino population.
      - gozur88 10y ago
        Not really. They can't get people to watch it on TV, which is why it doesn't make any money.
        JBlue42 10y ago
        https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/sports/soccer/nbc-retains-rights-to-premier-league-in-six-year-deal.html https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/sports/soccer/nbc-retains... Two years of success broadcasting England’s Premier League proved a basic truth to NBC Sports: It would have to pay a lot more to keep carrying the league’s games. Now it will. Under a six-year agreement announced Monday that starts next season and is worth about $1 billion, NBC retained the rights to the Premier League through the 2021-22 season.

wnevets 10y ago

I used to love watching football but I have grown to hate TV ads with a passion. I had to quit watching after draftkings was everywhere.

azinman2 10y ago
Aren't the ads the appeal to many to watch the Super Bowl in the first place?
- city41 10y ago
  Nowadays, if the ads are your draw, just watching them on YouTube is a lot easier.
  - PirateDave 10y ago
    Right. You used to have to see the ads during the actual game, but now they show the ads that will be shown during the game during the "news" in a "you have to watch these ads" segment.
    - wnevets 10y ago
      or even before the super bowl.
  - azinman2 10y ago
    I bet some significant portion of the Super Bowl audience is not watching alone... I partially rationalize going to a super bowl party _because_ at least I get to watch the ads. On my own I'm watching neither.

forgetsusername 10y ago

The NFL nailed it with Sunday games (although more and more are added to the schedule). It allowed you to to follow the sport closely without memorizing a team schedule, and every fan had the day off from work to watch. I wish more sports followed that system. It was easy to get into. I still enjoy watching the game, but sadly it's become a sport I watch but won't play (or have my kids play).

Spooky23 10y ago

Plus kids are being discouraged from play. My guess that beyond the South, football programs will start shutting down in the next decade due to liability.

kneel 10y ago

The younger generations don't purchase cable television. It's netflix and youtube for almost all video. The NFL comes with a heavy price that most consumers won't pay unless it comes in a standard package. NFL needs to end their exclusive deals with satellite providers and find a mainstream platform to stream on if they're going to be relevant in the future.

douche 10y ago
The NFL is the only reason I still have cable tv. If I could get any kind of reception for over-the-air TV, I'd dump the basic package I still have, but I'm just far enough away from where Fox, CBS and NBC locals broadcast from to make that practical.
- kneel 10y ago
  The amount of money you have to pay to watch any game you want is unreasonable. $360 for Sunday games, 40-70? for cable if you don't have reception for prime time games. 150-200 for the NFL network for Thursday night games. Luckily nfl2go exists. If you're worried that route you can just proxy out of the US and buy NFL gamepass, they're still getting their money. Although not as much as their rip off exclusive satellite deals.