Baseball is in desperate need for some youth…
Baseball is often the sport of parent’s and grandparents, but rarely is it regarded as a sport of the younger generations. This may be a very real and significant problem for MLB going on, with the NBA and NFL stiff arming MLB in the ratings for a key demographic.
Bloomberg did a report which revealed the very troubling number, the median viewer age for the 2012 World Series was 53.4, the highest in 20 years–if not all time. Compared to other sports’ viewer age for the NBA finals the average age was 41 and the average NFL watcher is under 45.
Baseball has to find a way to rectify their image of being an ‘old person’s’ sport and find a way to tap into the youth, and future players and viewers of the game. With Bud Selig on his way out, one of the key tasks for the next Commissioner is to save the sport for the newest generation.
Allow me to be frank, but if baseball’s future is in any type of jeopardy it’s mostly the fault of the stubborn baseball purists of the world. Who’s seemingly only goal in life is to keep baseball the same as it was in 1898–rules and all. It’s that unwillingness to change and the fact the same sport has been virtually unchanged for about 100 years which explains the current dilemma.
Is baseball dying? Let’s not get too carried away, but these numbers point to early on-set symptoms of a serious problem which needs solving. As the 2013 World Series begins with two teams with great fan bases it should go to help improve things.