The decline of professional sports

[CaptainCrunch]

Ok, so I was sitting there thinking about the fairweather fan thing in the FOI forum and it got me to thinking about professional sports as a whole.

We've seen a sharp decline not only in NFL attendance but also in ratings. the NBA is showing declines, the NHL I believe has dropped slightly as well. Baseball is pretty stagnant but we really only see attendance boosts during the playoffs. I was reading the news and they were talking about declines in live events.

Are we heading into a downward cycle in professional sports, or are we about to see a required change in how professional sports is marketed and viewed?

Ok, lets look at some theories

1) Sports as a whole has done too much to try to "Fix" its problem to appeal to the next generation of fans and its failed. The NHL has tried to get away from being a tough physical game, in their effort to increase scoring they've emphasized a almost more physically passive form of hockey. With the NFL, they tried to give too much of an offensive advantage, the same with the CFL and its newer receiver rules and as such you don't see engaged defenses. These are a couple of examples of sports trying to x-box their game, to make it appeal to the video game generation. But they're not buying tickets and at the same time that the younger generation isn't buying tickets the older generation is walking away from the game.

2) Fans don't relate to pro athletes anymore, whether its criminal conduct, or arrogant statements fro athletes, to the fact that the idea of the lunch bucket athlete is dead due to million dollar deals. Fans have to feel for the athlete and its tough to do. Instead at a certain point fans turn very quickly against athletes because of how much money they earn. That poster on the wall of a smiling Gordie Howe who played for a bonus of a team jacket is now replaced by a poster of a $12 million dollar a year athlete that doesn't orbit your world.

3) Sports is no longer a family enterprise. Remember when the whole family used to go to a hockey or football or baseball game. You'd sit there and eat popcorn while your dad got slowly drunk and talked about hockey in his day, before you got to the game you'd stop at your favorite family restaurant? You'd get to the game and be excited and pumped up. Now to take a family out to a game and dinner its probably going to cost you about $500.00 or more. Most families can't afford to do that more then a couple of times a year. So instead the vast majority of fans are sitting at home and watching it on a TV with 200 channels (we'll get to that later). There's no connection to live events anymore, a lot of fans don't know how a hockey game smells, or sounds or how the boards rattle. Because of that there's no connection with pro sports. Instead of being a serious obsession, its a once of twice a year event.

4) The advent of the digital age. Pro Sports is very quickly moving away from a attendance sport to a TV sport. Infographics populate the screen, get slow motion from every angle and broadcasters breaking everything down for us. We're not the same sports fans that we used to be. To add on to it, its usually part of your cable package anyways. Then the bigger problem is how many fans watch games end to end anymore. In the old days when you had 12 channels you would watch a whole game. Now if the score gets out of hand we get bored and turn the channel, or our favorite show comes on in a half an hour and the channel changes. Sports is not only competing with sports, but its competing with other forms of entertainment and I believe its losing.

5) The Stats generation. We now have fans that track stats and because of that they can watch the game less. The old argument at the water cooler used to be "Did you catch the game last night, Dunkenson sucked man", Now its, "that Dunkenson has a high Corsi, he's awesome". Do you need to watch Dunkenson play anymore?

6) The X-box generation, this is threatening to kill professional and amateur sports. Why go and watch Crosby play when you can play and be better then Crosby on your gaming machine. Why play the game and risk a concussion when you can be the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Fans are becoming disconnected with watching sports because they are the sports.

So where does it go from here.

I'm convinced for example that the Flames and the NHL are on the wrong track. Instead of building a 19,000 seat stadium, build a 10,000 seat stadium with a maximum number of luxury suites and cater to the people that can afford to go to 20 or 40 games a year. Then wire the building for sound and internet and take games off of free cable and go to technology based split screen PPV where you can see the game in a small box and see infographics and highlights of games in the other box.

In other words, to save sports they need to go with the declining attendance and change the way that they push the game out. What's the difference between a fan getting a $15.00 ppv for the Flames in Calgary or in London England? Nothing. you could have a unlimited crowd size paying a lot less then attending the game and having the information that they want at their finger prints. The people that attend the games are the ones that can spend hundreds of dollars per game and be given a uncrowded luxury experience.

Imagine going to a game in a more intimate setting where your treated like the 1%'er you are, you don't sit in seats you sit at tables and get served fine food and whatever liquor you want. The parking is easier, you have a tablet in your table with all the stats and scores you want. Meanwhile the rich folks are living it up in the luxury booths. Its an intimate setting where you're more then likely to know the people around you as well. Meanwhile at 7:00 30,000 people sign in to their Flames live account and their TV lights up with the Flames game in its super quadruple HD clarity. You can see that Monahan has been on a hot streak and leads the league this week in 20 offensive categories and Johnny's shooting percentage has steadily increased over the year. During a break you order pizza on your screen and because its a ppv in partnership with Pizza 73 you get $5.00 off your order and a map comes on in the upper part of the screen that shows your pizza is on the way.

So lets say that you get 8000 people paying on average $400.00 to attend. that's $3.2 million dollars. you get another 25,000 subscribers at $19.00 each. $475,000. So in total you've bought in nearly 3.7 million dollars for a game or $151,000,000 a year in just attendance figures.

And you give everyone what they want.

Anyways just ranting for now.

[undercoverbrother]

I think there has also been a uptick in "non-traditional" sports. Painting with a broad brush, anything in the X-games.

[Fuzz]

One one hand, you mention in item 3 that it is no longer affordable or a family thing. But your solution is to make it more elite?

To me, it's totally unafordable. There is no value proposition. I know these athletes make boatloads of money, the owners make boatloads, the media companies make boatloads, and we are expected to be happy compliant fans, handing over money whenever they ask? Games used to be on OTA TV more often, now you need an expensive sports pack.

They want more fans? Charge less. It's simple economics.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

One one hand, you mention in item 3 that it is no longer affordable or a family thing. But your solution is to make it more elite?

To me, it's totally unafordable. There is no value proposition. I know these athletes make boatloads of money, the owners make boatloads, the media companies make boatloads, and we are expected to be happy compliant fans, handing over money whenever they ask? Games used to be on OTA TV more often, now you need an expensive sports pack.

They want more fans? Charge less. It's simple economics.

Pretty much. Its the Canadian game but if you want to bring your family to a game you're likely only doing it once. And not once a year, I mean once.

Its a gate-driven league that has priced people out. Its way, way too expensive.

[Northendzone]

all I would say is that I like the idea of a small intimate rink - but the first team that moved this way would be bold, and I am not sure how you do that in the context of a league.

for me, I watch less sports because I am generally taking my son someplace or pursuing my own interests/hobbies

it costs a lot to go to a flames game for example. now I could opt to buy less expensive seats, but then why not just stay home - watch it on HD and then bail if the game is boring.....also no lineups for the bathroom, I have prime parking at home etc.

it would be interesting to know if this market (or how many NHL markets) in particular could bear ticket prices at a 10,000 seat rink that generate as much cash flow as the current rink (~19,000 seats)

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

all I would say is that I like the idea of a small intimate rink - but the first team that moved this way would be bold, and I am not sure how you do that in the context of a league.

for me, I watch less sports because I am generally taking my son someplace or pursuing my own interests/hobbies

it costs a lot to go to a flames game for example. now I could opt to buy less expensive seats, but then why not just stay home - watch it on HD and then bail if the game is boring.....also no lineups for the bathroom, I have prime parking at home etc.

I've mentioned this a number of times as well. I dont really like crowds. I'd much rather watch the game at home or at my local pub.

Especially considering that to take two people to a hockey game (let alone a whole family) is insanely expensive these days.

[Baron von Kriterium]

1. I'd rather play sports than watch them.

2. It is too expensive to go to the games. The last game I bought a ticket was for San Fran vs Dallas, Dec 2003.

The last pro game I went to was the Flames two years ago and that was courtesy of the Flames for some Veterans' Week event. I didn't find the game very exciting quite frankly, mainly because...see (3), below.

3. The games take too long. Too many commercials; too many booth reviews; and too many penalties.

4. I am sick of the endless military BS before the games, especially on or near 9/11, 4 Jul, and Memorial Day. Enough already.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

I think it's fundamentally the same thing as watching broadcast TV in general. There's a lot more options for things to do and/or watch. I just don't want to dedicate the time to watching hundreds of games per year.

[Phil1111]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I think there has also been a uptick in "non-traditional" sports. Painting with a broad brush, anything in the X-games.

X games, radical sports, competitive fishing, and on and on. Everything today aspires to create another UFC.

If anyone thinks there is declining attendance and interest in NFL, check NASCAR, winter Skiing, the number of golf courses that are closing

"Year over year ticket sale changes for a given team are subject to a range of factors. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 10-year changes in average home game attendance for professional hockey, baseball, basketball, and football teams across North America to identify the teams that are losing the most fans. For 17 teams, average home game attendance declined by more than 10% over the past decade."
http://247wallst.com/special-report/...out-of-fans-2/

More sports, ageing demographics, rising ticket costs, stagnant middle income levels, etc. etc.IMO

[octothorp]

To me, part of it has definitely been the failure of sports to keep up with changes to viewing habits, particularly cable-cutters. I'd happily pay for a digital package that allowed me to watch just the Flames games. And one for the Stamps. And one for the Raptors. But the way that sports TV rights work, the only options seem to be getting league-wide packages and then often setting up VPNs to get around domestic rights (or obtain the access through less legal means). As a result, sports are rarely on in our house.

For football (and hockey to a much more minor extent), the concussion-factor weighs on me as well. I can't escape the fact that these guys are putting their long-term health at risk for my entertainment. I'm still a fan of the Stamps in part because they're so damn good and fun to watch right now, but I could easily see a scenario where when they suck for a few years, and I drift away from the game and never get back into it.

Where it will really change is for people of my son's generation. I imagine that there are a lot like him, growing up in a household like ours, where sports are just never on TV and he never goes to games. For that generation, sports fandom may be far less of a thing than it is for my generation. To me, this is how the pro-sports leagues are entirely screwing themselves over; their inflexibility in providing viewing options that reflect modern media-consumption is going to lose them vast chunks of the next generation of would-be fans.

[GirlySports]

we should be trying to increase sports on free tv and free radio for the masses. not restricted to just ticket sales and pay tv.

I was a fan for nearly a decade before i ever went to a game

The NHL has an unsolvable problem, it pays it's players too much so more is put on the shoulders of the fan and that's not right.

[Slava]

I know that someone will dive in and flame me for this, but going to live sports here is way overrated. You're paying to be part of the live studio audience.

There is poor atmosphere, which frankly is half the reason to be there if not more. You can watch the games on TV, in HD for cheaper and with all the replays and everything you need. Wanna react to a play or discuss how terrible that player was, pick up your phone.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

So instead the vast majority of fans are sitting at home and watching it on a TV with 200 channels (we'll get to that later). There's no connection to live events anymore, a lot of fans don't know how a hockey game smells, or sounds or how the boards rattle. Because of that there's no connection with pro sports. Instead of being a serious obsession, its a once of twice a year event.

For me, this is largely the issue with professional sports.

What I've noticed that while I've seen a steady decline in interest in the Flames, my interest in soccer has never been higher. Why? Because I can actually afford to go to live soccer games in this city.

What comes with that affordability is getting to know other season ticket holders and casual fans alike. It's not just the live action itself, it's getting to see your buddies that you only see at these games as well. I can't get that experience with the Flames because I can't afford to get that experience.

Also, I've noticed that the more expensive the ticket, the worse the atmosphere is.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

we should be trying to increase sports on free tv and free radio for the masses. not restricted to just ticket sales and pay tv.

I was a fan for nearly a decade before i ever went to a game

The NHL has an unsolvable problem, it pays it's players too much so more is put on the shoulders of the fan and that's not right.

How is that unsolvable? Keep the cap where it is, and it will solve itself over the next decade with inflation.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

1) Sports as a whole has done too much to try to "Fix" its problem to appeal to the next generation of fans and its failed. The NHL has tried to get away from being a tough physical game, in their effort to increase scoring they've emphasized a almost more physically passive form of hockey. With the NFL, they tried to give too much of an offensive advantage, the same with the CFL and its newer receiver rules and as such you don't see engaged defenses. These are a couple of examples of sports trying to x-box their game, to make it appeal to the video game generation. But they're not buying tickets and at the same time that the younger generation isn't buying tickets the older generation is walking away from the game.

6) The X-box generation, this is threatening to kill professional and amateur sports. Why go and watch Crosby play when you can play and be better then Crosby on your gaming machine. Why play the game and risk a concussion when you can be the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Fans are becoming disconnected with watching sports because they are the sports.

I'll get to the rest of the post shortly, but these two arguments make you sound like a cranky, out of touch, old man. As part of the "video game generation," I've never wanted hockey to be high-scoring. I'm part of the generation that grew up playing NFL Blitz and getting in countless fights in NHL series. This generation is 100% a-okay with physicality in sports.

Secondly, I don't know a single person who actually likes sports who would prefer to play video game versions of them as opposed to actually getting outside and playing them.

The problem 100% has to do with affordability of going to the games. I've been hammering at this point for a number of years now, especially after all of the PSL fiascos in various new stadiums. This has more to do with the NFL than the NHL, but I've heard countless stories of fans who've had seasons-tickets handed down to them from previous generations, only to lose them when the team moves into their new barn and they can no longer afford to renew them. So something that used to be a family tradition for 8 Sundays every year becomes something you do once every couple of years and because of that you aren't seeing parents being able to introduce their kids to the team at a young age.

I'm not sure what it was like for most people, but every sports team I cheer for is one I developed a relationship with before I was an adult. With the Flames, it was in 1992 when I went to a game and watched Theo Fleury tear it up. As a smaller kid, I was amazed that this little dude was absolutely clowning his bigger opponents. That's something that doesn't really translate as well through TV.

It's very hard to sustain a bond with your fanbase or generate new fans when they don't have the opportunity to see the players live. At that point they're just images on a television, no different than say the Kardashians. So then teams are forced to market to and rely on casuals and corporate clients. Well when you do that, you basically kill the atmosphere in a stadium, so even when kids do go, it's not necessarily going to be the same experience.

[White Out 403]

I wonder if inflation will debunk this but I feel like the affordability of games is the worst its ever been for the NHL. It's obscene what tickets cost and I can't justify it

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

for me, I watch less sports because I am generally taking my son someplace or pursuing my own interests/hobbies

But if the games cost less, then they could be one of those things you take your son to, correct? I think this is the other problem. Pro sports used to be one of the few things that was great for both young, single people, as well as people with families. It was something parents could afford to take their kids to and have a good time, but it was also something that a group of friends in their 20s could go to on a Friday night before heading to the bar. Now it's cheaper and easier for the parents to leave the kids at home with a babysitter and the 20s and single crowd have to choose between the game or the bar, even more so now with how wages of stagnated, unemployment/underemployment for those in their 20s is higher, and the higher costs of living.

[Phil1111]

rubecube is more than 80% right in identifying affordability as key.

Once fans abandon interest its especially hard to win them back to a team. Even with cheaper ticket prices.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

I wonder if inflation will debunk this but I feel like the affordability of games is the worst its ever been for the NHL. It's obscene what tickets cost and I can't justify it

I think this is what makes public funds for the new arena so hard to justify as well. If I can't justify or afford the costs to go to a game (and I realize I don't live in Calgary anymore), what difference does it actually make to me if they're playing in Calgary or Seattle?

[rotten42]

Hmmmm...seasons tickets to the Flames or spend 3 weeks over Christmas and New Years with the Family in Mexico each year? No contest. I'll pick the trip every time.



Its also getting harder and harder to related to pro sports players these days.