All Sports, All the Time?

As the U.S. grows and diversifies, we can expect a wider range of diversions, including sports. Now cricket has caught on, at least in parts of the country, as this New York Times article discusses. (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/15/us/texas-cricket.html) Soccer, of course, has become established here after many decades of American absence from the “beautiful game.” And women’s leagues are now a bigger part of the picture. Not only is there spectating, in person and remotely, at these commercial events, but also endless chatter in the various sports media about them. (Plus, increasingly, legalized wagering on them.) The question becomes: Even accounting for a gradually larger potential audience, where does the time and attention span come from, to offer this support? At some point, there must be zero sum, and then some paid athletics must contract and fold. To date, there’ve been dips in attendance and a handful of failed franchises, but overall, just growth–including in the semi-pro “college” ranks. (Okay, ESPN and the regional sports networks seem to have maxed out.) If Americans have found more time for following athletes, they may be devoting less of it to family, friends, community and work. When does that account run dry?