I was having a conversation with a coworker a little while ago about football & it's future. He believes-and I tend to concur-that football has already hit it's peak & that twenty years from now, it won't be the behemoth that it is now. It might even become a niche sport, popular in certain regions (CA, TX, the South), but not nationwide.
What do you think? Where does football stand/look like in 2038?
For me personally, the CTE issue is huge. While I still love watching the Giants & football in general, I feel somewhat guilty watching guys try to kill each other & knowing that some of these guys won't even remember their names ten years after they call it quits.
Let's say this is true, and more than just your opinion, do you really think people are this prescient and concerted in their actions to purposely make soccer less popular for their own personal comfort?
To the point of the thread, even if a lot of people feel this way, I doubt it is impacting the sports popularity.
It's almost like in your example football is the restaurant Yogi Berra is referring to when he says "no one goes there anymore because it's too crowded"
at the end of the day in this scenario, football is still king and it has nothing to do with what you as an individual win, it's not a personal contest.
Regardless, I think gambling and fantasy football will keep the NFL healthy for a long time.
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exactly. I don’t win anything if the NFL is the most popular, only continues rising prices that will continue to keep me from attending. Soccers popularity has been increasing but I gain nothing if it were more popular. The only reason I would want it to be more popular is so they can pay more in the MLS and attract more players, that’s really it.
Let's say this is true, and more than just your opinion, do you really think people are this prescient and concerted in their actions to purposely make soccer less popular for their own personal comfort?
To the point of the thread, even if a lot of people feel this way, I doubt it is impacting the sports popularity.
It's almost like in your example football is the restaurant Yogi Berra is referring to when he says "no one goes there anymore because it's too crowded"
at the end of the day in this scenario, football is still king and it has nothing to do with what you as an individual win, it's not a personal contest.
I’ve already addressed the OP in several previous posts. I’ve had a couple sidebar comments based on why I don’t actually need soccer to be popular to enjoy it. I also comment on how defensive people get when this topic comes up, it’s like they can’t believe the NFL could possibly experience a decrease in interest - to which I ask, why not and why do you even care?
Don’t really know what else to tell you. I think the NFL is going to lose viewers not gain them in the very near future. I don’t see how that’s an unreasonable statement to make.
Basketball will always be limited to a certain extent by the innate inability of more than a few teams to be truly competitive. And if they ever expand, it would only be that much easier for a few teams to dominate as the overall talent pool gets diluted further.
My fault - I read the thread from the bottom (most recent posts) up. I apologize.
I just think even with losing viewers, NFL still likely remains "king" in 2038, but like I said, many of the posters on this site are likely to be dead by then.
Just curious but who exactly will start watching that isn’t already? Not only that but statistics show that viewers aren’t just watching less but watching less of the games they are watching. I don’t see how social media helps with this at all.
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Technology and social media will continue to drive the sport bringing fans closer and closer to the game.
Just curious but who exactly will start watching that isn’t already? Not only that but statistics show that viewers aren’t just watching less but watching less of the games they are watching. I don’t see how social media helps with this at all.
Also, NFL viewership is dominated by the 50-59 crowd and has been losing viewership in the 20-29 crowd which suggests that social media and technology is pushing them to do something else with their time.
NCAA Football has a younger demographic (which makes sense) which is dominated by males in their 40s.
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Technology and social media will continue to drive the sport bringing fans closer and closer to the game.
Just curious but who exactly will start watching that isn’t already? Not only that but statistics show that viewers aren’t just watching less but watching less of the games they are watching. I don’t see how social media helps with this at all.
The international audience is the only area for growth. Thats why we see all the exploits to get into that market.
I do not think that Rugby will replace football in the U.S., but it would not surprise me if it could attract football fans and sponsors and take a sizable bite out of NFL revenue...
The NFL brings in $7 billion dollars in TV revenue each year. That isn't just better than all other sports -- it completely dwarfs their revenue. 2nd place is the NBA with $2.7 billion per year. The NBA could double their revenue (which is virtually impossible) and still be well behind the NFL. (As for the NHL, it only brings in $200 million per year. It's silly to think that the NHL would benefit much from football fans tuning out. People know the NHL exists. They're just not watching because they don't care.)
The NFL is going to have to go into a prolonged death spiral to lose its place of dominance. It could happen. But millions of people watch habitually, even though they admit they don't enjoy it as much as they used to. And getting all those people to break that habit would certainly take a long time.
Are those numbers US. or worldwide? If international I would be shocked. If they are US. Only then they mean nothing. Then it is like when Hollywood counts opening weekend numbers and then double those numbers when the movies open in Europe/Asia.
I like most of the arguments here and I know that a lot of people seem to have lost interest in the NBA. It just isn't the case for the rest of the 6+ billion world.
NFL is only king in the US of A. (And I have football waaaaaaay higher on my list than all the other sports).
The NFL brings in $7 billion dollars in TV revenue each year. That isn't just better than all other sports -- it completely dwarfs their revenue. 2nd place is the NBA with $2.7 billion per year. The NBA could double their revenue (which is virtually impossible) and still be well behind the NFL. (As for the NHL, it only brings in $200 million per year. It's silly to think that the NHL would benefit much from football fans tuning out. People know the NHL exists. They're just not watching because they don't care.)
The NFL is going to have to go into a prolonged death spiral to lose its place of dominance. It could happen. But millions of people watch habitually, even though they admit they don't enjoy it as much as they used to. And getting all those people to break that habit would certainly take a long time.
Are those numbers US. or worldwide? If international I would be shocked. If they are US. Only then they mean nothing. Then it is like when Hollywood counts opening weekend numbers and then double those numbers when the movies open in Europe/Asia.
I like most of the arguments here and I know that a lot of people seem to have lost interest in the NBA. It just isn't the case for the rest of the 6+ billion world.
NFL is only king in the US of A. (And I have football waaaaaaay higher on my list than all the other sports).
Don't know if this has increased in the last decade or two with the increased hesitancy about letting their kid play football, but lacrosse for a while was the compromise for a smaller number of parents when Mom didn't want their child to play football but Dad wanted a contact sport. The stick skills involved made it seem less violent.
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But I wish someone had introduced me to lacrosse when I was younger - I would have never stopped playing. I hear anecdotally that lacrosse programs nationwide are benefiting from kids giving up tackle football. And lacrosse is expanding into more and more areas (Utah will be the westernmost D I school with its new program next year). Not saying it will ever approach the popularity of the major sports but a lot of kids who formerly played football will play lacrosse instead, thus cutting into the player pool for college and ultimately the NFL.
Don't know if this has increased in the last decade or two with the increased hesitancy about letting their kid play football, but lacrosse for a while was the compromise for a smaller number of parents when Mom didn't want their child to play football but Dad wanted a contact sport. The stick skills involved made it seem less violent.
And the numbers involved have exploded over the last 20 years. There will be a lag time, but attendance will follow as players hang up their cleats.
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But I wish someone had introduced me to lacrosse when I was younger - I would have never stopped playing. I hear anecdotally that lacrosse programs nationwide are benefiting from kids giving up tackle football. And lacrosse is expanding into more and more areas (Utah will be the westernmost D I school with its new program next year). Not saying it will ever approach the popularity of the major sports but a lot of kids who formerly played football will play lacrosse instead, thus cutting into the player pool for college and ultimately the NFL.
Don't know if this has increased in the last decade or two with the increased hesitancy about letting their kid play football, but lacrosse for a while was the compromise for a smaller number of parents when Mom didn't want their child to play football but Dad wanted a contact sport. The stick skills involved made it seem less violent.
From a few families I know in my little orbit, it still is.
How awesome would an NFL game be if there was no commercials until the end of a quarter?
From the time Teddy Roosevelt got the forward passlegalized, American football has always shown a willingness to change the rules. So I would expect the NFL to modify the rules in noticeable ways (eg, no down linemen) before simply giving up the ghost.
And...I'd love to see this for football, but it's going to be really cool when they get the bugs out.
Soccer matches land on your table thanks to augmented reality
The USSF would not allow that because it would definitely be challenging MLS. MLS is our domestic league and the USSF has to protect it against foreign encroachment. Liga MX in Mexico would kill to play regular season and playoff games in the U.S. but the USSF and FIFA stop them. The PL also got a lot of blow back for thinking of playing games on foreign soil. It is very controversial there.
For soccer to truly take off here MLS will have to get close and even surpass some of the big 4-5 European leagues. We can't import someone else's product and expect it to take off here. It will be up to MLS. I could see a CL final played in the U.S. within 20 years. I could see MLS and Chinese Super League clubs added to the Champion's League simply cause of $$$$ and the way the world is changing. The CL would rather clubs from China and the U.S. than from Estonia and Finland.
Simo, I asked i your other thread that you deleted...how is pops doing? Did you go upstate to visit him during Father’s Day?
Also, the fact that TV ratings were down is a bit of a myth. Ratings have been down across the board & the NFL decline is less than everything else.
Lastly, no other sport is remotely close.
When you take into consideration the social economic background of many NFL players, unless The NFL is legislated against, C. T. E. will not be the reason for a decline in popularity
Not all football fans relate to the sport with a social conscience. For many it s just entertainment rooting for the Jersey. Players come and go, we still stay fans.
A decline in popularity will be the result of a poorer product being put on the field.
But I don t see the decline if the NFL reaching the proportions suggested here.
...C. T. E. will not be the reason for a decline in popularity
Parents decide if their kids play youth football, and I think the decline in participation already seen, is at least partly due to CTE concerns. I have to think this will have an impact on the NFL down the road.
I asked before but how can the NFL increase its exposure? I believe the US market is tapped out and statistics back me up on that especially with the demographic data. So if it won't grow anymore in the US where exactly will it grow? Maybe London?
And CTE will play a massive role, you are kidding yourself if you think it doesn't matter. Its already led to early retirement for some players, others quitting in college, and far less youth playing it today than 10 years ago and I'm certain that trend will continue, how could it not?
When they are under 18 they need parental permission to play, so it may not be their choice anyway. And then add in insurance issues and you have a recipe for disaster. Do you really think it won’t play a huge role? How can you be in such denial about it?
America loves it's football and teams. People want to cheer for the same teams they have forever.
Side note: For the poster who suggested people controlling robots who play football I could see that catching on nationally before soccer. Not a knock on soccer specifically, but the rise (and popularity) of people watching other people playing video games could blend these 2 markets.
The very fact that I acknowledge the relationship between the disease and the sport should be evidence I am not.
I base my opinion on 20 years of working wuth kids, many of them athletes, from the projects in Philly, New Jersey and New York.
You might be in denial of the ravages of poverty if you think these parents are going to deny their kids a better life based on the possibility they might suffer later in life from their decision.
I am not cavilier about this disease, if you were aware of circumstances in my life you would understand stand that.
I simply do not agree with your assessment that for many of these athletes it will not be a massive influence.
You'll see more streaming platforms getting better and better with production value as time goes on. You probably won't be watching NBC/FOX anymore on cable, you'll be streaming programming like most young people do on Twitch.tv.
You'll see more streaming platforms getting better and better with production value as time goes on. You probably won't be watching NBC/FOX anymore on cable, you'll be streaming programming like most young people do on Twitch.tv.
Maybe in 50 years, not in 20.
Especially with the advent of really good mainstream VR which will certainly become a mainstay in entertainment within 5-10 years.
Especially with the advent of really good mainstream VR which will certainly become a mainstay in entertainment within 5-10 years.
And I would suggest that the numbers who "don't watch much sports" is significantly smaller than those who are either interested in both alternatives or are exclusively NFL/College football fans. And not everyone who is over 30 will have died in 20 years. The relative interests will likely be different than it is today, but it will take well over 20 years for the lines to cross.
I'm 37 and I grew up a nerd and played lots of video games. Typically people 35 and older, when they were in their teens or twenties playing video games was still a "kid thing" and something you would never mention to chicks. These days? It's very much part of every day accepted culture.
I'm 37 and I grew up a nerd and played lots of video games. Typically people 35 and older, when they were in their teens or twenties playing video games was still a "kid thing" and something you would never mention to chicks. These days? It's very much part of every day accepted culture.
Well football (the American version) is only king in the US and possibly Canada, so we're not talking about global audiences.