Wednesday’s Facebook-only broadcast of the Toronto Blue Jays/Kansas City Royals game has again triggered the conversation about modern-day sports viewing habits.
Young adults, and older teenagers, are getting away from their televisions and viewing what they want, when they want, on their phones and tablets.
Professional sports leagues in North America are trying to speed up games as much as they can in an attempt to hold the interest of these viewers. (In an ironic twist, video is being used more than ever to get calls right, which is slowing games down).
This will come down to “what makes the world go around.” Networks such as FOX, ESPN and Sportsnet pay big money for rights fees, and in turn go to advertisers for profit.
The question is this: Are enough people watching games on Twitter and Facebook for advertisers to offset those costs as opposed to viewership on television?
Are people sacrificing 60-inch televisions which broadcast in 4K and HD for their phones?
Who knows what the future brings, but I would say…not yet.