MLB is at a crossroads due to its ongoing lockout and one writer believes that if this continues, the league is going to lose fans and not be able to regain a good portion of them.
Matt Williams of The Athletic tweeted that he believes MLB is in serious trouble.
Williams states that there are “different levels on fandom” and that diehard baseball fans will remain diehard baseball fans, but that casual fans make up a large percentage of the revenue, more than most people realize, and that MLB has already succeeded in alienating the younger generation of baseball fans.
Cont…
There are different levels of fandom.
Die hard fans are not going anywhere.
But casual fans make up a much larger % of revenue that most realize.
MLB has already worked hard to alienate the younger generation.
If this drags on…it may have a lasting impact.
— Matt Williams (@MattWi77iams) February 27, 2022
Williams Has A Point
Williams could not be more correct.
MLB is essentially destroying themselves, and if this continues, as Williams notes, the impact may be devastating for the league and last for a very long time.
The lockout has already turned away a very large portion of MLB’s fanbase, that being the younger generation.
Even before the lockout, younger fans were becoming less interested in the sport, turning their focus to other sports such as hockey, football, and basketball.
If MLB and the Players Association do not come to an agreement on a new CBA going forward, then games will be lost on the 2022 MLB schedule and not made up later in the season.
This could be a while, and it’s all because MLB is not only already behind other sports but continuing to turn fans off to the sport.
What was once our National Pastime has turned into a complete laughingstock, and as Williams stated, the damage to the sport could potentially be irreparable.
Baseball is a dying brand, and if it’s going to be saved, major changes must be made.
NEXT: MLB Makes A Rare Move Of Goodwill For Fans