Nearly Half Of Americans Changed Sports Viewing Habits Because Of Woke Social Justice

As they say, if you need a break from politics, turn off sports.

The social justice warriors in the sports media may claim that fans haven't minded the far-Left takeover of sports in recent years -- but they are lying. According to a new YouGov / Yahoo News poll, nearly half of America changed its sports viewing habits once political and social messaging spread across the leagues.

Because of aggressive woke messaging, three times as many Americans watched sports less often than those who watched them more often, 34.5 percent to 11 percent. 56.3 percent say they watched about the same amount. Though not quite 50-50, the number of those who changed habits was undoubtedly represented in total viewership declines.

Ratings across all major sports were down in 2020. The NBA, the most political among them, lost over half of its audience in the NBA Finals, a Finals that featured its top individual and team draw, LeBron James and the Lakers. That's not viewers watching less often, that's viewers not watching at all.

Keep in mind that these declines occurred during a pandemic, when far more Americans were home than normal. Daily work/school commutes were also slashed, allowing viewers to watch later into the night.

Furthermore, the players' political and social stances were not moderate. They overwhelmingly echoed those on the (loud, angry, and far) Left. Because of the definitive slant, many center-right Americans lost interest disproportionately. 53 percent of Republicans said they watched sports less once social justice messaging became prominent. Only 19 percent of Democrats said the same; 14 percent of Democrats said they watched more.

These ratios shouldn't surprise anyone. Athletes told Democrats they had it right. They told Republicans they were racist.

What's telling, though, is that nearly 40 percent of Independents chose to watch sports less often for the same reason. The NBA players and many NFL players let Republicans know they were not wanted -- but LeBron James and Malcolm Jenkins probably didn't foresee so many Independents turning away.

Speaking of messages, here's one: it's bad business to mix sports with subjective social views presented as indisputable facts. Some viewers will return to old sports viewing habits since the messaging has lessened, including in the NBA which has since taken "Black Lives Matter" off its courts. Others, however, will never return. They won't forget how they and those who have similar views have been treated.















Written by
Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.