Inflation is raising the cost of just about everything these days, and sports fans are being hit especially hard by its collision with the “streaming wars” among content distributors. The limited set of pro sports games is being balkanized and distributed by a growing group of services (like Paramount+ and Peacock) each demanding that would-be viewers set up yet another username, password, and monthly credit card charges. Baseball fans already shell out around $100 a month for a local cable or satellite package, but to see Max Scherzer's first start with the New York Mets on April 8th, you had to subscribe to Apple TV+. Attending games in person has grown pricier, too. Between 2010 and 2020, ticket prices for NFL games rose over 32%. That statistic was 38% for the NHL, 51% for the NBA, and 22% for MLB. It seems like pro sports leagues think fans have an unlimited supply of cash to funnel into their endless array of products. LZ and Will talk about whether viewers have reached a breaking point.
