Here are the main premises I'm arguing from

- NFL Ratings drop  - ESPN Subscribers drop

Essentially, the sports world is freaking out, which I believe is an apt way of describing the situation given how essentiall American Football, the most popular Western sport, has been to the fabric of American Entertainment. The Superbowl for one is the most watched tv show on Earth for decades. Yeah, it's just America, but I put this in Gaming discussion not simply because it is a game, but because it is competing with the rise of E-Gaming, now, and/or, in the future.

The point is this, why is this happening? Is it the totally uncoventionally popular political season? Is it the shorter attention span of human beings(legit imo)? Is it that less people buy a tv when they have the iphones and ipads? Is it that people legitimately don't like sports as much? Do they not like violent sports as much?

Well, gosh I think it's all of them, which is why I'm wondering what you guys think. Even the authors of the articles don't completely know what's up.

In either case, I personally think that this, combined with the next generation of gaming(consoles, e-gaming, etc.) coming in less than 365 days, spells a paradigm shift for sports and e-sports. Jumping the gun?

I don't think sports are dying. Regular football (or soccer) is a massive industry and growing, and basketball is still pretty big. Maybe it's because american football is not that popular outside of the USA, and therefore when something keeps american people more entertained, the sport suffers more? That can't really happen to sports that are popular everywhere like regular football.

Also, it is still too soon for e-Sports to seriously endanger traditional sports. Give them ten years, and we'll see more and more e-Sports rising.

I think that in Footballs case it's a mix of things. The elections probably don't help, but mostly I think a more widespread knowledge of the damage football can do to the players has turned some people off, and I think others have lost faith in the NFL and aren't happy with the direction they've been taking the game.

As far as E-Sports go, I don't expect them to ever really take off on a mainstream level.

There's been a lot of drama with the NFL. Regulation fumbles, bad administrative decisions, and most recently, the whole "taking a knee during the national anthem" whci hpissed of a lot of people. I think a healthy number are tired of the corporate and the drama. And basketball's continued growth no doubt has had an impact. A LOT of younger people are more drawn to basketball than any other American sport. But sports in general are going nowhere. The sports infustry will go up and down, but it's been a constant for all these...well, millenia for a reason.

I think many fans have lost interest in NBA basketball because the sport has got softer. A player with his head down runs/dribbles into his opponent and the opponent gets a fault - that makes no sense. Some players take advantage of this a lot and get deserved hate from basketball fans.

I don't know what country you're from, but I'm from NY and most of my friends are in the city - they've fogone a tv. What's left? just our phones and tablets which kind of suck for 2-3 hour games, but for short e-sport matches? 

This to me has been underecognized. I think it has damaged the reputation for millenials who are, for a many reasons, a much softer and more sensitive generation. And again, the length of traditional sports imo is not appropriate for the attention span of this gen.

I love basketball because I can enjoy it in spurts whereas football has a whole syste, of downs and extended possesions that one has to see all the way through to see if progress(a score) is made. It's the attention span again imo. But, you say Basketball is on the rise? I haven't heard this yet.

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if this is because the players would get mad if the rules changed, because I agree with you that the fas would love the change.

It's all the fault of participation awards. The new generation has never learned the value of winning, so not that interested in competitive sports :p

I think if national pride is at stake people pay attention.


However I do agree I think watching a team lose each year is boring.

And yet the english premier league just signed off on a nee TV deal thats billions more than ever. To a point where even coming last in the league rakes in a ton of money to the teams.

I think sports is just fine. its more like there are tons of new ways they are being watched as opposed to the traditional ways. or maybe it's also the kinda sports you are looking at.

LMAO! Where do you live? Football(soccer) is like the biggest thing on the planet and keeps on growing like crazy.

Reminds me of the PS360 sales race and the arguments of worldwide vs US.

It's like Americans are completely unaware of the rest of the world.