The way people watch and think about sports has changed radically over the past few decades. There are more eyes, ears, and opinions surrounding professional sports franchises than ever before. The way professional franchises and leagues navigate this new-age sports environment will shape the future of the sports hierarchy in America. In particular, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League are the two largest American professional sports leagues with the NFL earning the most revenue. However, shifts in today's media and social landscape are creating a situation in which the NBA could overtake the NFL as the most popular league in American sports.
Fan perception is a huge driving force behind the popularity and following of any sports league. The way the NBA has conducted themselves as a business and organization has allowed it to gain more goodwill in the press and with fans. In todays' media landscape, any misstep by a league or organization is magnified and scrutinized heavily so teams must navigate carefully.
The NFL has recently dealt with three franchises relocating to new cities all while dealing with the negative press of failed negotiations with their local governments to publicly finance a stadium. While the NBA has dealt with teams relocating in the past, most arena disputes or ownership changes have not led to acrimonious negotiations or a team fleeing to another city. The NFL has also dealt with a seemingly ever-increasing load of internal disputes which has fatigued fans and media alike.
The National Football League has also hampered its' popularity in today's social media age in its attempt to control its own content. In October 2016, the NFL banned teams from posting extended videos of highlight plays during the broadcast. The NFL wanted teams to post videos only from the Official NFL pages.
Immediately, fans and media blasted the move as only meant to generate more revenue through ads on the posts. This led to negative backlash from fans and media alike who enjoyed the barrage of highlight plays. The rule was mocked by teams like the Browns and Eagles which posted videos of the play being acted out by miniature plastic players.
Meanwhile, NBA teams seem to have taken full advantage of the social media era as they overload Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with highlight after highlight. They also focus on getting their players faces in front of cameras for quick interviews.
This allows the fans to connect more with the athletes and feel more involved and connected to the franchise. That extra connection is apparent throughout NBA games. The stadium settings of both sports and the basic nature of football, needing a helmet, lends itself to a closer experience in an NBA stadium – not to mention the cheaper ticket prices. The closed in setting with seats lined up on the floor and right next to the athletes allows fans to feel more immersed in the experience.
International growth has been a huge point of emphasis for both leagues with both scheduling contests to be played in other countries. Both leagues take advantage of periodic marketing as the NFL has had games scheduled in London and Mexico while the NBA has done the same in Mexico and also had played preseason games in China.
The NBA's advantage on the international level is the basketball is a sport that is played across the globe and has more of a foundation internationally. The numerous professional basketball associations around the world confirm the notion that Basketball is a more international sport. The NFL has made headway on the international front and, due to logistical advantages, should be the first of the two leagues to feature a franchise on a separate continent.
Along with these external aspects, the biggest issue facing the National Football League comes from within itself: concussions. The great unknown of head trauma is causing parents to hold their kids from youth tackle football in some parts of the country.
A larger movement like that could cause the NFL talent pool to dry up some while it expands the NBA's ability to attract premier athletic talents. There have been instances of football youth leagues disappearing completely due to a lack of kids signing up.
High school football has been affected as well, though not as drastically. Participation has steadily decreased since the 2008-2009 school year, with almost 30,000 fewer students participating. As more and more young athletes are withheld from participating in youth football leagues it may begin to decay the fundamentals that are so important to the game.
The lack of fundamentally sound players makes it harder for coaches to teach effectively which in turn could affect on-field performance, hurting the overall product.
Where the NFL has consistently had the advantage over the NBA is in its TV Ratings. This past season the NFL once again experienced a ratings drop compared to previous seasons, especially in primetime games.
The NBA, in contrast, has seen a surge of interest recently. Last season, NBA attendance hit a new high for the third year in a row as television ratings are up as much as 25% on ESPN and TNT. Though the NFL still reigns as king in the American sports landscape, the NBA has recently been growing greatly in popularity.
The accessibility of the sport internationally, less long-term health concerns, and social media presence across the board has opened the opportunity for the NBA to take over as the preeminent league in America.
