Sports was one of America's most accessible forms of entertainment. Now it's paywalled, splintered and sold to the highest bidder. Fandom isn't being nurtured. It's being mined. For @nytopinion.nytimes.com on on the state of sports, and what it says about America: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/o... - ThreadSky

joon.bsky.social • 7 days ago

Sports was one of America's most accessible forms of entertainment. Now it's paywalled, splintered and sold to the highest bidder.

Fandom isn't being nurtured. It's being mined.

For @nytopinion.nytimes.com on on the state of sports, and what it says about America: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/opinion/sports-nba-mlb-leagues-streaming-fan.html

Comments

peter-butler.bsky.social•7 days ago

I think about this all the time

In Detroit I grew up watching 130-140 Tigers games for free

In the '90s in the Bay Area, we'd get 55-60 Warriors games (Run TMC!) free each season

I used to be able to name every NCAA basketball champion from 1978-2000

Now I watch nothing except disc golf

noodlearm.bsky.social•7 days ago

Those $8 general admission nose bleed seats for the Pistons at the Silverdome were the best.

peter-butler.bsky.social•7 days ago

I think we used to pay $4 to sit in the part of the football stadium that's actually outside of the basketball court

You had to watch like waay off to the right lol

stamfordlola.bsky.social•1 day ago

When I was in college you could sit in the top 6 rows of Riverfront to see the Reds for $3. We’d sit in the outfield because no one checked and split a plate of nachos. Date night for $10.

noodlearm.bsky.social•19 hours ago

First ball game I ever saw was at Riverfront.

stamfordlola.bsky.social•19 hours ago

I grew up going there. As a kid in the late 70s and 80s in Ohio, the Reds were everything.

slugtales.bsky.social•1 day ago

On the upside, for decades I paid an ESPN tax on cable for sports that I never, ever watched. If you're going to pay players like rock stars, you're gonna have to pay concert ticket prices to see them.

goldsabre.bsky.social•7 days ago

Barely have seen NHL playoffs because I'd need multiple streaming services and cable packages to watch all the games.

waldo42.bsky.social•7 days ago

Kids will never become fans of sports their parents aren't fans of.

duke87.bsky.social•7 days ago

Of course, the only way this gets fixed is if people refuse to pay and just find other entertainment.

Considering how the relationship of American pro sports teams with their fans has long been abusive, we'd all frankly be better off collectively leaving them.

peterabraham.bsky.social•7 days ago

Goog article Joon. I've been writing about similar issues: https://medium.com/@peterabraham/the-nichification-of-sports-and-everything-28a5ccf50c70

heavybassoon.bsky.social•7 days ago

The highest bidder being sportsbook companies.

corvustwig.bsky.social•1 day ago

Sports leagues need to realize that the broadcast of the games is not the product. It's the advertisement for the product. The product is ticket sales and merchandise. They're shooting themselves in the foot by making it super hard for anyone to become a fan in the first place.

yankeespy3.bsky.social•7 days ago

We fans always get screwed. The Felon Trump talked to Manfred and suddenly Pete Rose and the Black Sox are eligible for the HOF. KMA!

libertytree.bsky.social•7 days ago

Professional sports leagues are trying to market their leagues, not local teams. They want us to be happy to pay for whichever game they show. Watch more #MinorLeagueBaseball or go to the park with your lawn chair and watch local city and park leagues. That's where the #fun is.

libertytree.bsky.social•7 days ago

When I was a kid, all hometown baseball games were on tv. The #StLouisCardinals became the most popular team when they were the only team west of the Mississipi because they broadcast games to all of #WesternAmerica. Their #IconicHats are all over the place, even #Mexico.

bailard.bsky.social•7 days ago

Thanks for pointing out all the money I've saved over the years by not caring about sports!

johndettling.bsky.social•7 days ago

Exhibit #5000. the idiocy of putting the FIFA Club World Cup on DAZN. No one will be watching it and few soccer fans will even know about it in the US.

buchman.bsky.social•7 days ago

That part is because no one wanted it. The DAZN deal is basically just money laundering.

jasonpaul.bsky.social•7 days ago

FIFA has their traditions.

bukana999.bsky.social•7 days ago

FIFA learned corruption from the Philippines dictator!!!

jasonpaul.bsky.social•7 days ago

FIFA is so corrupt they got raided *IN MIAMI* 😄

liljakesy.bsky.social•7 days ago

cc @bowulf.bsky.social and @zberm.bsky.social

jzekis.bsky.social•4 hours ago

It's striking to me how nowadays it's actually easier and cheaper for me to follow and consume foreign sports and teams in other American cities than it is to follow my local teams.

Sports is now a luxury expenditure.

hwatingsports.bsky.social•7 days ago

It's becoming an issue in Korea as well, though not at the cable TV end of things. Online viewing of the local leagues is getting diced up between two networks Coupang Play and TVIng. And they're in talks about a merger so this might all be for naught.

rmd1023.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yeah. Similarly, somewhere along the line, nerd-fandom culture shifted to being substantially about "what you can buy" as merchandisers came wading in with licensed stuff to sell. (Okay, that and gatekeeping people they don't think are cool enough to be in their club.)

winemandanny.bsky.social•7 days ago

And it’s killing them all except for the NFL. Turning most sports into niche events that only hardcores will pay for like boxing for example.

stholeary.bsky.social•7 days ago

"For these games, our government could consider building a free streaming app that makes the basic broadcast networks — ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, Univision, the CW — available to anyone with internet access."

This already exists. It's called a digital antenna. Did no one review or edit this piece?

johnpurlia.bsky.social•7 days ago

So true. Finding my local MLB team on TV from day to day is like playing whack-a-mole with various channels and streaming services. It's why I listen on radio now.

stamfordlola.bsky.social•1 day ago

I’ve gone back to radio, too! Watching my team on TV costs a minimum of $100 a month to have all the services. They do a radio broadcast on their app for free.

ab9rf.bsky.social•7 days ago

i'm of the opinion that sports teams should be required to be owned by the communities they allegedly represent, especially if they want to play in publicly owned or funded stadiums

ab9rf.bsky.social•7 days ago

i was in favor of Chicago seizing the Cubs by eminent domain and having them be run by the Chicago Parks Department

instead we get the repulsive Ricketts family, who have made Wrigley the most expensive stadium in the country, all so they can fund their family's repulsive MAGA politics

andreabnic.bsky.social•7 days ago

This is why I love that @trailblazers.bsky.social began broadcasting this year on local network affiliates so that games are available over-the-air and not just paid TV. They even gave out free antennas! There is also a streaming option. This is a much more fan-focused model.

kuoirad.bsky.social•1 day ago

I feel like I remembering hearing about the Suns and their new owner doing something like that too.

matthewjohnson.bsky.social•7 days ago

I'm up in Alaska. The other night I tried to watch the NBA Finals but couldn't because DirecTV is feuding with the station it's on and not broadcasting it. What the hell

kansas123.bsky.social•1 day ago

Every part of society has become pay to play
You use to watch TV for free
You use to drive on roads free
You use to go to Nat Parks for free
I do not like it that more & more things are restricted to poor

zachwilkens.bsky.social•7 days ago

tried to read your article, but it's behind a paywall 🙃

dgirl.bsky.social•7 days ago

Underrated reply

5plume.bsky.social•7 days ago

Big, overwhelming, boring.

baseballgifs.bsky.social•7 days ago

Imagine getting paid to write an article and using "the MLB", embarrassing.

torrleonard.bsky.social•7 days ago

"This isn’t just about games. It’s also about whether sports will remain one of the last public spaces where regular people still feel that they matter."

HUH?

leeifans.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Damn that's crazy I pay a few bucks a month for Peacock and it has the Premier League, IMSA, NFL, Cycling... I never get bored.

leeifans.bsky.social•15 hours ago

oh I forgot Rugby, the Olympics...

mikecook82.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is the story of everything in America and much of the world. Ever hungry corporate vampires sucking everything and everyone dry regardless of long term sustainability. We are living in the desiccated husk era.

schzzrf.bsky.social•7 days ago

I think about this a lot. I pay $45/month to stream; product’s getting worse (over-produced). Jerseys are $200; players switch teams on a whim. Tix are min ~$200/ea. Not sure how families earning ~the avg household income can afford this. Meanwhile, we celebrate owners & players earning $Bs

mnemonicer.bsky.social•7 days ago

WNBA games now require access to FanDuel, Ion, ESPN, Amazon, CBS. Bc of blackouts, you can't just buy League Pass.

I'm not paying each of those platforms to access the 2-10 games they each have.

juanfoxx.bsky.social•7 days ago

Yeah! It’s ridiculous, I’m not buying anything else.. I’ll have to watch the next day if need be!

donbaldwin.bsky.social•7 days ago

simonstouffer.bsky.social•7 days ago

The irony of this being on NYT…

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