6 in 10 Sports Fans Are Skipping Games Because They’re ‘Too Expensive’
In addition, 72% of sports fans say major sporting events should be required to air on free broadcast television.
Nearly 6 in 10 sports fans say they’ve skipped watching a game at least a few times in the past year because it was too expensive, according to a new Fox News poll.
In addition, 72% of sports fans say major sporting events should be required to air on free broadcast television.
A new Fox News national survey of registered voters finds that majorities of both sports fans (72%) and non-fans (60%) think major sporting events should be required to stay on free broadcast television, not behind streaming paywalls. Only 27% of fans and 38% of non-fans say leagues should be allowed to shift games to paid streaming services," the report details.
Via Fox News Digital, Made with Flourish
To this point, fans skipping games in protest of the price and availability have not deterred the leagues from expanding further. Specifically, streaming the NFL for a full season could cost around $800 next season.
Even fans who pay for a full cable package still need additional subscriptions like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Peacock to watch regular-season games across the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.
Over the weekend, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told "Fox & Friends Weekend" that officials are reviewing thousands of comments from frustrated fans on whether a significant share of sports should remain free on broadcast television.
Carr said the FCC is also examining whether sports leagues should continue to benefit from a special antitrust exemption.
"So, we'll be looking at it. There could be actions at other portions of the government, and Congress as well, if these sports leagues continue to push this issue," he said.
Via Fox News Digital, Made with Flourish
If the FCC cannot slow the shift toward streaming, it will likely continue unless enough fans stop watching to affect league revenues. Given how much companies like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon are willing to pay for sports rights, that would require a significant drop in viewership.
That kind of drop is unlikely for the NFL. Fans often complain about the schedule and access, but viewership has rarely reflected said frustration.
Other leagues should be more cautious. The NBA, MLB, and NHL regular seasons are hardly consequential enough to justify asking fans to pay more. In fact, the NBA is already struggling to maintain viewership for games that are available for free on ESPN and NBC.
Most baseball fans will need to pay about $19.99 per month to watch their local team this season. Given how local baseball fandom is, Peacock and Apple TV may struggle to attract new subscribers for those packages.
As we argued last week, watching sports at home should not be this difficult and expensive. Per the poll, 60 percent of fans agree. Expect that number to increase in the coming months.