The Reason Major League Baseball Isn't Popular Anymore

#MLB #baseball
The Reason Major League Baseball Isn't Popular Anymore
In today’s video I want to answer the question what killed the popularity of Major League Baseball?
I don’t just mean attendance, or television ratings, I mean overall relevance. For a game that was at one time rated the most popular sport in America.
The reason why people don't know the name Shohei Ohtani, but everyone has heard of Babe Ruth...
What made baseball popular in the first place?
When was the peak of popularity?
When and why did it lose popularity?
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[@thomasmckennie8771]

I've been preaching this EXACT same thing for ages... MLB is SOOO behind technology and marketing...

[@rufus_the_cat]

When you watch the Ken Burns documentary they were saying back in the 70s that football had taken over as the national pastime.

[@ec1628]

Too difficult to watch on TV. Behind paywalls. And I can’t watch my local teams. I’m blacked out.

[@eliasmolina4635]

Streameast

[@billtate6962]

I'm sure there are MANY things at play why baseball isn't as popular....but for me personally....I was born and raised in Chicago....I grew up watching the Cubs either on FREE TV (WGN) or going to Wrigley to see a game for $3-5 for tickets right above the dugout $1.50 for bleachers...NOW....unless I PAY $20/month for Marquee Network to watch them on TV....or PAY $64 for those bleacher seats..or $130 for those seats by the dugout (those prices can be higher depending on opponent)......I'm not going to a game either....so yeah, me finally getting to see my Cubs win the World Series in 2016 unfortunately resulted in me being "priced out" of being the die-hard fan I once was.

[@mariocisneros911]

Me too we were born and lived in the right era.

[@brianedgar3413]

1 out of every 160 people on Earth follow Steph Curry on Twitter. That's pretty crazy. I don't even have a Twitter

[@petercollin5670]

One thing MLB did right was to embrace KZbinrs fairly quickly. There were a couple of years when they didn't allow KZbinrs to show game play. But if you read the comments section of your favorite baseball KZbinrs, guys say how those channels got them back into watching baseball. Jomboy, baseball doesn't exist, foolish baseball, urinating tree, and even Zack Hample are all excellent embassadors of the sport.

[@aureliansmask3502]

Blame the NBA and the NFL Also, people will be scared to say this, but the MLB being so reliant on international players has hurt the sport. Unlike soccer which has leagues that compete with each other in size, the MLB is a monolith in the sport of baseball. When 30% of your athletes are not from America, we cannot expect them to know what American viewers want to see. A lot of these guys don't want to be Lebron. There is a disconnect between their culture and ours in how we view athletes. This isn't even getting into so many players not knowing english. I'm not saying we shouldn't allow foreign players to compete, obviously, but the connection between the english speaking American fanbase and the spanish speaking Carribean players isn't good

[@rrameir]

This is just fully incorrect. Many of the games most exciting players are Latin born. If you ask a kid who his favorite baseball player is there is a great chance they’ll say Tatis, Soto, Vlad Jr not only because they’re the guys putting up crazy numbers but they’re the ones bat flipping and doing awesome celebrations brining more eyes to the game. And the whole language barrier thing is absolute bullshit. Out side of soccer and maybe cricket baseball is the most popular sport globally so having the best international players play in the best league only makes sense. Ohtani who doesn’t speak English well and uses a translator is easily the most popular baseball player not only in the US, but in the world. The only morons who think him not speaking English fluently is an issue are you and Stephen A Smith.

[@aureliansmask3502]

@@rrameir you're not going to get a Lebron James like player out of the Carribean. These guys don't want to be like that. Tatis and Vlad are exceptions since their fathers were players and they grew up in the public eye. Ohtani gets commercials and airtime, but he'll never appear on ESPN, movies, TV, or anything he isn't really forced into being on

[@Embargoman]

Soccer = Baseball's kryptonite

[@lovesgucci1]

You’re correct. This has absolutely nothing to do with race or ethnicity but it does have to do with marketing a player that doesn’t speak English. When a player doesn’t speak English, it’s hard to have those post game sound bites or connections with fans. Of course there’s Acuña & Ohtani but even Acuña isn’t a household name outside of baseball fans. Everyone knows Judge & Harper, regardless if they saw them play. I blame MLB for their child labor camps aka baseball academies. The US, Canada & PR could never have the same practices because it’s illegal, so why are we okay with it in the DR?! From the corrupt scouting, no healthcare, no education, no English classes & little to no money!! Kids are as young as 5 years old working 10-16 hour days!! You think Tatis’ parents would allow that?! Not at all! Youth baseball has become so expensive for the average household. Travel ball has hurt middle & poor class families. There’s sponsorships but it’s still not enough. The lack of black Americans in MLB is another reason the sport doesn’t get enough attraction. You see NFL players that were drafted in both leagues but chose NFL because they don’t have to wait around in the minors. Lastly, entertainment. There needs to be more entertainment during the World Series (ex: 2009 World Series, Jayz & Alicia Keys) Push ESPN & other sports shows to push more baseball talk. The Braves v Phillies NLDS got some good coverage but not enough.

[@lovesgucci1]

@rrameir Baseball fans don’t mind the language barrier but it does hurt the player in marketing abilities. Ohtani is obviously an outlier. When De La Cruz said he was learning English so he could connect to his fans better, people loved it because it made him more endearing. Same can be said for the Montreal Expos team. A couple of players made a strong effort to learn French & they were loved. Bat flips? They’re fun, I guess but Ricky Henderson stealing bases & did it with swag was just as much gun. Fighting is the same. I don’t think players NEED to speak English but it does help the player. Most people won’t admit it but it also helps connect fan engagement & locker room leadership.

[@bumsinblue5624]

They make it too expensive to watch the local team on TV. They need to have a nationally televised game on local TV every night if they're going to continue blackouts

[@JM-gj7de]

The difference in baseball popularity from the '80s until now is staggering! When I was a kid, it was quite common for neighborhood kids to get together and play baseball at the park, or any available patch of grass. I never EVER see kids doing that anymore. Sure, kids still play baseball. But, only in an organized team fashion. Kinda sad, honestly.

[@chrisolivo6591]

Stickball was a daily event in my neighborhood when I was growing up as I lived in a cul-da-sac. All we needed were 4 players as you could play 2 on 2 (pitcher and OF). I haven’t seen kids play stickball on a street in 20 years

[@jessd7281]

This video is awesome! Great job 👏🏻 and also thanks for mentioning women’s baseball- I feel like it’s not talked about at all!

[@StevenRussellBASEBALL]

Thank you!

[@Gemnist98]

One word: football.

[@starlinpena4943]

i agree 100% players like lionel messi cristiano ronaldo and teams like real madrid barcelona have put a ding on baseball's armor

[@pablosanchez6558]

Failed to mention the AFL-NFL merger and the Superbowl

[@joefitz531]

10:26 says "players are fiery and competitive" and then shows Anthony Rendon

[@billtate6962]

Anthony Rendon is certainly FIERY....but is NOT competitive....he has made it VERY clear in recent interviews....he's there for the paycheck....he could care LESS if the team wins or loses.

[@giacobbeperales5926]

Baseball is still very popular. For all the NBA love you gave the WS and NBA Finals have similar ratings. It definitely has it's flaws but it's also still my favorite game. One thing American's don't seem to understand is how popular it is outside the country. The sport continues to grow worldwide. The goodwill games final had Colombia vs Brazil. I bet most American's don't understand the significance of that.

[@zaneps151]

To put it simply when you have teams stacking the deck and putting all the best players on the same handful of teams, it helps to kill the popularity of the sport It’s not fun to watch a sport when all the best players play on one of the coasts and all the small market teams get screwed

[@PipeGuy64Bit]

8:44 Well that certainly didn't age well. With the pitch clock being added, average game time has been reduced to around 2 hours and 30 minutes and it's a no brainer that'll be the average time for playoff games too going forward. Edit: 9:06 Oh you're one of those people that think high scoring always means it's a good product....

[@johnnobles6011]

Biggest problem you didn’t mention was Last 10 years “Superstar” level players were boring guys (Mike Trout just isn’t naturally Charismatic enough, Clayton Kershaw very Vanilla person, A Pujols and J Votto were just great fundamental hitters) It’s similar to Tim Duncan vs Iverson and Kobe in NBA , Iverson helped growth of NBA a lot more then Duncan ever did Astors should be new evil empire (Similar to Pats after they got caught cheating) huge missed opportunity, Tatis was being built to be future mega star injury prone and then got caught dirty, Personally believe MLB having same problem pro wrestling is once you see big massive dude destroy stuff, generic freak doing the impossible, it’s hard to go back to normal looking people doing the same (it’s why WNBA Ratings are so bad)

[@JAMARISPEAKS]

Great video man

[@StevenRussellBASEBALL]

Appreciate that coming from you!

[@RC_928]

Baseball is still too stuck on nostalgia. Field of Dreams game was a great gimmick, but nobody under 30 knows about the movie, much less the scandal behind it. You can’t watch a game without announcers mentioning “For the First time since 19……” Kid’s don’t care about that. Only boomers.

[@PanchoRivers-fo8tu]

I'm from Honduras and have no clue about Baseball, i worked in Texas for 2 years. As soon as i found out, there was a honduran player playing for the Houston Astros, i went and got my ticket for the next game. So, i think this is one of the issues with this sport. It's cool that they keep it traditional, but i they want to attrack people, they should do what others sports do. Or die with the boots on. HeckI even started asking and learning about baseball rules, so i could understand better and enjoy it more.

[@LetsTalkAboutSportsLIve]

the fact that this video got less than `4k views says alot about the subject.

[@MCHammer79]

Baseball isn’t popular because “I can sit at home on tik tok all day”.. got it 👍🏻

[@Aut0KAD]

I feel like star players spend a lot more time watching videos, analytics, and practicing now than they did in the 90s. No time for making movies I think. As for as known stars, I am not sure the NBA has done as great as you make them out. In the 90s, most people knew who Michel Jordan, Charles Barkley, Shaqueel O'Neal, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson where. If you mildly likes sports, you also knew who Scotty Pippin and Patrick Ewing were as well. NBA? OK, most know LeBron James, maybe Seth Curry, but who else? I think there is some Zion person.

[@sushantkautkar7694]

Make baseball great again🙏🙏🙏

[@sugoiiibeats]

I loved and played baseball all throughout my youth, started watching basketball and realized how slow and boring this sport is (i still watch historical baseball games but I really can’t stay watching current ones)

[@justincopus3983]

Hunter Pence was in an episode of “Fuller House”.

[@gomez3357]

Lmao

[@leifemery4965]

Fax bro!

[@mariocisneros911]

FREE T.V..ALL GAMES WERE ON AND TICKETS WERE CHEAP , EVERYONE COULD ATTEND .THEY ALSO HAD LOTS OF FREE WAYS TO ATTEND PLUS MANY OTHER PROMOTIONS. LADIES DAY , THEY FREE, GOOD SCHOOL GRADES , FREE TICKETS , DOUBLE HEADERS , FATHER SON GAME , OLD TIMERS GAME. THESE LAST 2 WERE PLAYED BETWEEN DOUBLE HEADERS

[@JayTemple]

There was never a time when all games were on free TV, except possibly the Cubs. Most teams had every game televised starting in the early 2000's because of regional sports networks--on cable.

[@mariocisneros911]

@@JayTemple OH YES THEY WERE, ALL FREE. WE AND MANY OTHER NORTHERN CITIES DIDNT HAVE CABLE TELEVISION. THE WHITE SOX AND CUBS BROADCAST ALL THEIR GAMES , 163, FROM 1972- 1982..AND TICKETS WERE $1.75 BLEACHERS AT WRIGLEY AND $2.00 ALL OUTFIELD SEATS AT COMISKEY. THIS IS FACT.

[@mariocisneros911]

@@JayTemple you were born in the wrong era. The baby boomers saw and lived all that. Are entertainment wasn't expensive, we didn't have unlimited tv , music, but spent more time participating with others. This all went away gradually in the mid1980's with videos, etcetera

[@mariocisneros911]

@@JayTemple post 1977 free agency changed the dynamics of the game with all salaries skyrocketing to infinity today. Before everything was cheap or reasonable. They had many promotions, 2 games for 1 price, doubleheaders. I dont know why fans keep cheering the players , when you can just afford attending fewer games

[@markderamo9229]

No. Social media is what has taken away a lot of the enjoyment for fans in all sports. It has caused way too many unneeded distractions and shifted the focus from fans' favorite teams winning on the field to irrelevant things about players' lives off the field.

[@HoshizakiYoshimasa]

Baseball is thriving globally. Japan Korea Taiwan Dominican Republic Venezuela Panama Cuba Colombia. A few in Asia say simply that the Americans just don't have the attention span or patience for it anymore. I think it's marketing. Americans need marketing

[@wizardoferror9942]

The new rules seems to be helping them a little bit. What would help their situation even further is making TV broadcasts in better reach (hint: eliminate blackouts!)

[@Alejandrothebaseballguy16]

I would love if max muncy would call out manny machado they actually have a rivalry be more fun like jose Fernandez could have change the game RIP

[@EvilKicksMoney]

Cricket is the greatest most entertaining interesting toughest deadliest and unique sport in the world 🏏☝️

[@robertott9925]

Regional blackouts

[@dubvuchyea502]

I don't think anyone cared about the LeBron spacejam movie

[@Motovationnation]

I think people are finally realizing how boring baseball is compared to literally everything else the world has to offer. Someone tried to give me free tickets, I said no thanks I have laundry to do.

[@robertmatthews4285]

I’m in favor of never letting the drug addicts in the hall of fame. If you want to celebrate them, build your own hall of fame just for them. But their records should never be compared to the guys who did it clean.

[@USC9210]

So why is European soccer so popular? While they have "Financial Fair Play" and "Sustainability" limits (to discourage deficit spending on payroll and/or operations), they do not have salary caps and there are huge payroll gaps.

[@JayTemple]

Idk why it's popular there, but I know why it isn't popular here. They allow championship-level games to end in a 0-0 tie.

[@nick_plays6271]

W vid

[@trollpolice]

They show more european soccer on national tv then baseball

[@lovesgucci1]

Since when?

[@trollpolice]

@@lovesgucci1 since like 2018

[@lovesgucci1]

@@trollpolice Never seen it. That’s also baseball & basketball’s problem - blackouts!!

[@selfmadesm2068]

A list of reasons -Lack of Black American players/intrest -Salary Cap System -Destroying there 1998 season the steroid season that actually brought it back -Internet - Baseball is a slow sport (I used to work at a couple of stadiums) -Marketing -NFL, NBA, NHL, Soccer, hell even track and field -Social Media - Old school frame of mindset

[@richardp8429]

Why do you say that Internet and social media has destroyed baseball?

[@landscape674]

@@richardp8429 I can answer that. I watch the D-backs MLB highlight reel on KZbin that lasts 8-10 minutes. They are not on free tv in the phoenix market.

[@pep2st8p64]

Everybody act like the lack of black players isn't the main reason MLB isn't popular anymore,,well it is,,I promise

[@selfmadesm2068]

More like Black American players. There are a lot of Black caribbean players though.

[@richardp8429]

@@selfmadesm2068What do you think changed for black American players? These days, most teams have less than 3 black American players.

[@gomez3357]

It definitely is and the fix isn’t as hard as people think, we gotta make travel teams less expensive. There’s a team where I live that’s not that expensive and the roster is majority black, We need more of that

[@lovesgucci1]

It’s a BIG reason!

[@lovesgucci1]

@selfmadesm2068 Black AMERICAN. You sound like MLB executives in thinking they’re both the same!

[@at5840]

Baseball is boring

[@landscape674]

Too many players who don't speak english.

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Nah. Nah yo the title of this videos. /

[@leechjim8023]

GREED!!!☹️☹️☹️👎👎👎

[@jakestar121]

1.5 years later: Shohei Ohtani is an international icon WBC was awesome and everyone loved how it ended The unwritten rules are loosening and players are far more expressive now after hitting homers The game feels significantly shorter in length now cuz of the pitch clock. Steals have also noticeably gone up which is nice WE ARE SO BACK 🔥

[@DowonLee-hb7mw]

I grew up watching major league baseball and nba. but baseball hits me different. it's a daily sports and literally a part of my life. Apparently american football is the most poppular sports in america right now. but I still truly think baseball is the most american sports between all sports in america. I want a lot of people to know baseball is a great sports!

[@chrisolivo6591]

I’m a huge baseball fan and love the rule changes, but the Rangers/DBacks was the lowest rated World Series ever. Baseball will always have its loyal local audience, as I live in Philly and the Phillies get 40,000 a game when they’re good. But most of my friends check out of Baseball once the Phillies are eliminated. They just don’t care about the World Series if the Phillies aren’t in it. That’s the real headline. Baseball is still popular, it’s just lost its appeal to the masses. I also think a big change is African-Americans don’t play Baseball anymore so you have 12% of the population that doesn’t care about the sport. When I was growing up you had Bonds, Griffey, Doc Gooden, and before my time you had Mays, Aaron, Gibson. All the great African-American athletes come from the NFL and NBA now. You essentially lost a whole generation of a specific race since Michael Jordan that don’t care about Baseball anymore

[@nameless-user]

The number of games I’ve been seeing has been exponentially going up year after year excluding the pandemic years. I think I’m going to at least 10 games this year lol.

[@Embargoman]

To say when Lionel Messi came to Miami, then in a Marlins game to say Loan Depot Park is empty or to say that only one or two people show up at the baseball game, and then everyone else shows up at a soccer game only to see Messi playing for InterMiami. To say well MLS surpass the MLB as the number 3 larges league in North America, just saying soccer has lead to probably in Miami to move the Marlins to Montreal of all places. To say it all Major Leauge Soccer is turning ball park into empty parks during baseball games and soccer is taking over all leagues by storm. In ten years the NFL wil be number 2 and MLS will be number 1. So if you where to be president of the USA you might even make soccer illegal in the United States to save baseball. So nobodu gives a shit about baseball stars anymore and the most popular sport in the USA will be International Football known as Soccer. Baseball lost its popularity to soccer. To say it all soccer is Micheal Jordan and baseball is some other basketball player that is all.

[@lovesgucci1]

No one cares about MLS. The Phillies were in the playoffs during the same time that the local MLS team made the championship & no one in the city knew or cared about it. It’s a small hipster niche. Miami Marlins have the absolute worst ownership & management!! They would pack that ballpark if they stayed in contention for more than 2 seasons!

[@davemal15]

Sorry but Baseball is not Football it never will be again…but the NBA is a mess…nobody watches the NBA…Baseball ratings are still comparable to the NBA. What baseball needs is the big markets to perform. It’s biggest star isn’t a player it’s a team. It’s the New York Yankees. Everyone knows who they are go anywhere in the country and the world you will see the interlocking NY. This Yankee team is for real, put them in the World Series you will see ratings. Ratings the NBA can’t touch. Baseball is still the second most popular sport in the country. It’s not without problems but it flourishes when its biggest Star does and that’s the Yanks. The 90s was popular not because of steroids it was the Yanks. They were in the fall classic every year and everyone watched.

[@richardbecker7421]

People focus on the wrong things. It isn't the pure number of people who care. That doesn't make you money. A lot of people watch NASCAR. It is about getting the RIGHT type of fans. Baseball has that, and will continue to have that. People who watch football want simple, dumb entertainment. Sure, football is fun to watch when you are waiting to hear news about MLB free agency, and more people watch than watch MLB, but that is my point. Baseball fans understand analytics. Baseball fans don't need entertainment to be like an infant with keys jingling in their faces. The Dodgers can pay Shohei $70M per-year, because they have the right type of fans. A ton of people watch WWE, but you don't want those type of people as customers. It turns off valuable customers. Baseball is doing the right thing. Frankly, I would get rid of some of the new rules that are focused on the trailer park crowd. Make it the thinking person's game again, and challenge people to call it boring and expose themselves for being stupid.