borchard
04-12-2014, 08:12 AM
IMO the fans that baseball is retaining are the older fans who have loved baseball all their life. I think the younger generations are much more driven towards NBA and NFL.
I also disagree that MLB is losing fans because of the recent PED scandals. That certainly doesn't help, but IMO it is the pace of the game that drives people away. We're living in a time where people are used to instant gratification. With the spread of smart phones and Netflix people are able to watch whatever they want whenever they want. I know a lot of people who are becoming disinterested with baseball because it is boring to watch on TV. It's hard to keep your attention on the game when there is so much downtime with only occasional moments of excitement. It's not like football and basketball where there is near constant action. It also doesn't help that because of the sheer number of players, it is hard to have star players that people get excited to watch and invested in. A hitter like Mike Trout gets maybe 3 or 4 AB's a game, not counting when he gets intentionally walked. And a star pitcher only contributes once every five games. A slow paced sport like baseball can't deliver the same level of constant action that a faster paced sport like football or basketball has to offer.
A few weeks ago ESPN put out results of a poll they had taken.
MLS catches MLB in popularity with kids, says ESPN poll - ESPN FC (http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1740529/mls-catches-mlb-popularity-kids-says-espn-poll?cc=5901)
“MLS has been around since 1996,” said Rich Luker, who has been with the poll since its launch. “It is phenomenal that in just one generation it has gone from zero adherents to tying MLB, especially when you recognize this is the first generation to only know the United States with a professional soccer league. MLS is in their generational DNA.”
I also disagree that MLB is losing fans because of the recent PED scandals. That certainly doesn't help, but IMO it is the pace of the game that drives people away. We're living in a time where people are used to instant gratification. With the spread of smart phones and Netflix people are able to watch whatever they want whenever they want. I know a lot of people who are becoming disinterested with baseball because it is boring to watch on TV. It's hard to keep your attention on the game when there is so much downtime with only occasional moments of excitement. It's not like football and basketball where there is near constant action. It also doesn't help that because of the sheer number of players, it is hard to have star players that people get excited to watch and invested in. A hitter like Mike Trout gets maybe 3 or 4 AB's a game, not counting when he gets intentionally walked. And a star pitcher only contributes once every five games. A slow paced sport like baseball can't deliver the same level of constant action that a faster paced sport like football or basketball has to offer.
A few weeks ago ESPN put out results of a poll they had taken.
MLS catches MLB in popularity with kids, says ESPN poll - ESPN FC (http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1740529/mls-catches-mlb-popularity-kids-says-espn-poll?cc=5901)
“MLS has been around since 1996,” said Rich Luker, who has been with the poll since its launch. “It is phenomenal that in just one generation it has gone from zero adherents to tying MLB, especially when you recognize this is the first generation to only know the United States with a professional soccer league. MLS is in their generational DNA.”