OT: What does the future hold for sports?

[cutchemist42]

As a huge F1/MotoGP/LeMans/various sportscar circuits......Im afraid auto racing will face the same fate horse racing did when the car replaced the horse. It will be the SDC that brings auto racing down, especially the series that are using engines/structures based on road models currently.

I think F1 survives the SDC a little better because of the spectacle, those cars are not meant to have any relevance to what we buy in our dealerships.

In a driverless world where its still not determined how motorcycling/scooters get handled, it might be possible the various track and dirt motorcycle series survive easier.

 

[alko]

This was an interesting topic. After 1 and half year we could maybe see new ideas.

 

[SCBlueLiner]

I'm skipping to the end but will go back and reread the thread. To answer the OP about the "wandering" team playing its home games at different venues, I don't think you will see it happen. Sports franchises need a foundation to stand on, that foundation is their local fan base in the city they represent. The teams in the EPL are different, I think, because they can be pretty concentrated with London having like 5 of the EPL clubs right now. I'm speaking more about NA franchises. There is no way I see the NY Yankees or Dallas Cowboys becoming a "travelling" team playing their home games in venues all across the country. The foundation of these teams are the cities they are in, without them they would be nothing.

And cities aren't going to build venues for wandering teams. Venues get built for the home team, as a marketing tool for the city, and because there is emotional attachment. Without emotional attachment these buildings don't get built.

 

[Newsworthy]

What will the NHL expansion fees look like in 2100?

 

[awfulwaffle]

I see sports struggling. The issue will be how will they adapt to the lack of funds from television money. Over time, more and more people are going to move on from cable television as more pay for services show up. Sports are relatively safe, but it's only a matter of time down the road that it's no longer something that is needed through a cable television deal.

Money spent today on salaries are dependent on those deals. When those deals expire and they aren't the same, what are teams going to do?

 

[flames12]

By 2050 I suspect that 30%-40% of NHL players will be black.

 

[PCSPounder]

I see sports struggling. The issue will be how will they adapt to the lack of funds from television money. Over time, more and more people are going to move on from cable television as more pay for services show up. Sports are relatively safe, but it's only a matter of time down the road that it's no longer something that is needed through a cable television deal.

Money spent today on salaries are dependent on those deals. When those deals expire and they aren't the same, what are teams going to do?

If there were only "the issue" at play... otherwise I think you're right.

Well, OK, television is a large part of the issue. In the three network universe I grew up in, it was very easy to be a casual fan because it was hard to avoid games on TV (then again, hockey out west was at a premium for a LONG time). The more this has balkanized... and the more restrictive the leagues get about distributing games... and the more bad press that happens with every public funding initiative and every non-game incident and every arrogant owner...

...there's a large part of the population that has come to view sports as practically a scarlet letter. I'm pretty sure that applies on both sides of the 49th, BTW.

That almost ensures leagues will end up having to charge fans directly for TV content. Which will, naturally, constrict the numbers of people tuning in, and that's kind of a death spiral.

Worldwide, soccer has a somewhat better understanding of this. MLS will "prosper" (which, in reality, means losing LESS fans than the others) for letting fans be fans in a more "interactive" environment. Of course, we may very well see that pan-European league happen, and they'll almost assuredly make the same mistakes currently pervading North American sports, that will eventually have an effect on the talent pool... and blerg. The same fate will simply befall a little later.

 

[cutchemist42]

Kinda specific, but I dont see any new league going with the franchise model. MLS, CanPL, and MRL are the mosy recent leagues and have gone eith single entity.

I just think the advantages the investors have over labour in that structure are too big to ignore. As well, it makes it easier to plan the leagues appeal.

 

[LeHab]

I see sports struggling. The issue will be how will they adapt to the lack of funds from television money. Over time, more and more people are going to move on from cable television as more pay for services show up. Sports are relatively safe, but it's only a matter of time down the road that it's no longer something that is needed through a cable television deal.

Money spent today on salaries are dependent on those deals. When those deals expire and they aren't the same, what are teams going to do?

Traditional lucrative cable TV model is dying, we all know. It is a risk but also an opportunity. As technology continues to improve and viewership shifts online there is a lot of potential to offer personalized content today's networks can only dream of. Your "TV" provider may very well be the Google or FB who already know a lot about you. Right there personalized ads to individual viewers will be a lot more lucrative than what is today possible. Combine that with the ability to observe every second of your behavior and adapt to offer you a more engaging experience based on your preferences.

Potential roadblock is today's cable TV providers also deliver Internet - conflict of interest right there. Hence the importance of Net Neutrality fight.

 

[13 others]

Nba,nfl,mlb,nhl,fifa and ncaa will be fine. These sports went through much worse in the past. As long as humans exist, there will be no issues.

FIFA and NCAA are not sports or leagues.