TV Sport audience declines worldwide among younger viewers

[Tennis]

Young people are turning off sport on the box -- something that will strike fear into television executives who hoped live matches would be immune from the diversions of Netflix and video games.

European broadcasters like Sky Plc and Telefonica SA pay billions for sports rights and rely on the games' allure to attract people to their more expensive broadband and television bundles. Walt Disney Co., the owner of ESPN, and broadcasters including NBC also use sport to build audiences and sell advertising.

But there are signs it doesn't hold the same spell over young people as their parents. Viewers between the ages of 18 and 24 were the least interested in sport as a genre, according to a survey of 31,000 people across 10 countries carried out by research firm Ampere Analysis.

When asked what type of content they enjoy watching, young people express less enthusiasm for sport than other genres


The trend was most pronounced in the U.S. and U.K., the most advanced markets in terms of internet adoption and alternative sources of information and entertainment. In those countries, interest in sport among young people diverged the most from the average for the country as a whole. (France and Poland were the two exceptions, where young people are more interested.)


It's important to stress the data are patchy and have limitations. Nielsen, which tracks and dissects U.S. television viewing figures, says it's yet to study young people and sports in depth, while publicly available figures for other markets are much scarcer. Ampere's survey is based on online surveys that may not represent the population as a whole.


But disillusionment among the young does help to explain the decline in audiences for English Premier League soccer, something Gadfly explored here, and, potentially, the slump in viewership for the NFL season. Some have blamed the presidential election and boring games for for the latter's problems -- but Nielsen data show American football's struggle to attract younger viewers goes back much further than this year.


One thing is indisputable: Young people have far more entertainment options now than in decades past and spend less time in front of the box. From Snapchat to Candy Crush, young people are developing new media consumption habits at a rapid clip.


Piracy may also be at work. Anyone with a minimum of tech savvy and a high-speed broadband connection can find illegal streams of most sports. Young people may also watch sport differently. They're happier to dip into games, watching snatches of video on their phones or following along on Twitter.

There's one final source of the disillusionment among young people: the sports leagues themselves. In recent decades, many decided to sell the rights to their matches to pay-TV companies. But in taking the extra money, Formula One and the English Premier League limited their audiences to only those people willing to pay.

It's telling that the age groups most loyal to the sports were the ones who watched on free television years ago. Like many clubs on the brink of relegation, the audience for televised sport is ageing and it isn't being replenished at the same rate. Its glory days may be behind it.

https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/art...ounger-viewers

Maybe this will drive cable companies to offer more fair deals.

Most people I know don't have a current subscription because they make you get like 130+ channels when you only really want a couple of them.

I worry about the health impacts though if more youth are focusing on unhealthy activities rather than sport.

[Vetis]

I worry about the health impacts though if more youth are focusing on unhealthy activities rather than sport.

Most people watching sport are about as healthy as most people gaming: not very to average.

[Super Kami Dende]

Considering with E-sports the last LoL World Championship had more viewers Worldwide than any physical Sport. I'd say Younger Viewers just want to watch something more enjoyable.

[Tennis]

Considering with E-sports the last LoL World Championship had more viewers Worldwide than any physical Sport. I'd say Younger Viewers just want to watch something more enjoyable.

Except that it was free compared to sports events which cost a significant price.

[jimboa24]

Except that it was free compared to sports events which cost a significant price.

Nothing is free. Just because you don't see the direct cost of something up front doesn't make it free. If it was on ESPN, you have to have had a basic cable package of some kind to watch it. If it was streamed online, then you paid through watching ads and the cost of your internet subscription, etc.

I hate it when people say "oooh, this was free!" like "free" healthcare (paid for with obscenely high taxes on everyone) or "free" drinks (paid for by talking to a guy who bought them for you), etc. Get it through your heads: everything has a price of some kind. That is how it always has been and always will be.

[Tennis]

Nothing is free. Just because you don't see the direct cost of something up front doesn't make it free. If it was on ESPN, you have to have had a basic cable package of some kind to watch it. If it was streamed online, then you paid through watching ads and the cost of your internet subscription, etc.

I hate it when people say "oooh, this was free!" like "free" healthcare (paid for with obscenely high taxes on everyone) or "free" drinks (paid for by talking to a guy who bought them for you), etc. Get it through your heads: everything has a price of some kind. That is how it always has been and always will be.

No it was free to watch. Sports events are not free. You can't just go to ESPN or Fox Sports and watch an NBA or Champions League game. You need to pay a significant sum.

[Aquinan]

I worry about the health impacts though if more youth are focusing on unhealthy activities rather than sport.

Sitting on your ass watching sport isn't healthy.

[Rudkobing]

Curiouser and curiouser... why aren't you posting about ...... Never mind.

[Super Kami Dende]

Except that it was free compared to sports events which cost a significant price.

Maybe not where you are, but all Grand Finals for Major Sports in Australia are on free-to-Air TV.

[Gorgodeus]

Viewers of actual TV are in decline. It is not just in sports. Why watch TV and pay a cable bill when you can watch damn near everything for free on a PC?

[Scottyjscizzle]

I worry about the health impacts though if more youth are focusing on unhealthy activities rather than sport.

I know more people who lost weight playing pokemon go, than playing a sport they watched previously on tv.

[matt4pack]

Well sports are pretty rigged these days to favor certain big market teams and everything has been sold off to the highest bidder which turns a lot of people off. Then on top the commercials are unbearable.

[jimboa24]

No it was free to watch. Sports events are not free. You can't just go to ESPN or Fox Sports and watch an NBA or Champions League game. You need to pay a significant sum.

No, you don't. You need to pay a significant sum only if you want to guarantee that you will be able to watch every single game in the entire league. Even if you only have a basic cable package, you'll at least be able to get the local and regional games. If you're a casual or semi-serious sports fan, you can get by with basic or just-above-basic cable packages.

I know this shit because I actually managed Verizon Fios accounts and helped customers who liked sports figure out how they could get the most sports games and channels for the lowest prices. I did that for four years.

[Tennis]

Sitting on your ass watching sport isn't healthy.

It isn't. Many kids get inspired by their sports heroes to become great at the same sport though. Hence the outcome is, healthier kids.

Not exactly the same for gaming.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Nothing is free. Just because you don't see the direct cost of something up front doesn't make it free. If it was on ESPN, you have to have had a basic cable package of some kind to watch it. If it was streamed online, then you paid through watching ads and the cost of your internet subscription, etc.

I hate it when people say "oooh, this was free!" like "free" healthcare (paid for with obscenely high taxes on everyone) or "free" drinks (paid for by talking to a guy who bought them for you), etc. Get it through your heads: everything has a price of some kind. That is how it always has been and always will be.

Free to the consumer obviously, someone is paying for it yeah but to the consumer it is free but you just had to insert politics involved.

[Eleccybubb]

It isn't. Many kids get inspired by their sports heroes to become great at the same sport though. Hence the outcome is, healthier kids.

Not exactly the same for gaming.

That's because gaming as a competitive scene did not become a thing till the late 90s early 2000s. People were inspired by their games actually to take up making a living from it. Counter Strike, Doom, Starcraft and many more inspired people to start the competitive scene. Also you can be healthy and still be a competitive gamer. Nothing stopping you from a healthy lifestyle. To suggest otherwise is silly. And now look. Dota 2 in the past 3 years along with League of Legends for example has become something immensely popular.

[Toppy]

It isn't. Many kids get inspired by their sports heroes to become great at the same sport though. Hence the outcome is, healthier kids.

Not exactly the same for gaming.

Are you living in the 60's or something? I'm serious, what kind of world are you living in that this is still true? If anything kids are being inspired by the gigantic wages the players get.

[Belize]

Grown ass men throwing or kicking a ball around is dull af.

[Tennis]

Then why are they watching e-sports? I fall asleep quite quickly watching that boring crap.

Isn't it just video games. Why are they calling it sports...

[Elegiac]

Grown ass men throwing or kicking a ball around is dull af.

People still watch sports?