Illegal sports streaming of US based teams should actually be legal and free, amirite?

TLDR: Tax payer-funded sports events should be free to watch. I have another unpopular opinion: Free ice cream for everyone.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Im lactose intolerant, what are you gonna give me for free.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Ice cream

by breitenberggiss 2 days ago

I absolutely should pay the set price for a product I want to have. I can live with that. Sports teams however do not have a huge positive economic impact. Then you should be voting against any proposition that spends tax dollars on sports. Run on a local government platform of removing tax funding for sports.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I'm sure cutting salaries would go over great with the NFLPA, MLB Players Union and the NBA Players union……

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Have you ever seen the movie The Replacements?

by Turnerluisa 2 days ago

My local McDonald's should be free

by WrongAd4370 2 days ago

Canada doesn't allow this? Since when? Why do they use TSN+, Sportsnet+, MLB.TV, Rogers NHL Live, etc... if it isn't allowed??

by Connect_Sorbet 2 days ago

Oh my you are uninformed...

by Anonymous 2 days ago

and to be clear, I don't watch any sports. I don't care for sports. I have exactly zero interest in sports. I just happen to know a lot about it from my time at DirecTV.

by Sawayndiana 2 days ago

Blackout rules have always been odd to me. I just find it hard to believe that not being able to watch the game on TV is going to drive fans to the stadium who weren't already inclined to go. Maybe I'm wrong but it just doesn't make sense to me.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I'm not involved enough or smart enough to know if it actually works. Just the purpose behind it. Although, most teams have a minimum number of tickets sold before the game can be broadcast. The majority of teams make that (or, at least, they used to) with only occasional games being blacked out. The exception being the Raiders. I don't think had a single game in my 5 years that was broadcast locally.

by Sawayndiana 2 days ago

MLB's blackouts are so that way people pay the local carrier, thats why they are set for the local broadcast area (the Orioles are blacked out in NC) instead of a set distance from the stadium

by PandaMother9346 2 days ago

that's true too. It protects the local advertisers over national advertisers.

by Sawayndiana 2 days ago

You're right, with all of the money brought in through fans at the games and the in person revenues, it should be free, right? Unfortunately, it's a business, not a fan-friendly thing. Media deals exist, so if it was free, the media outlets and broadcasters would lose out big time. The current system is just designed around money. Think about all those poor workers that would put these companies in debt!!! Jokes aside (kinda), it's a big battle to see who can make more. This is not to mention NIL (for college sports) and other costs, which these teams are almost certainly in need of. I could really be saying a bunch of nonsense, but that's what I've seen

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Sports teams absolutely (can) have a major economic impact. When my city hosted the Super Bowl it brought in like $400 million to the city just in tourism. The only time the city has seen more money brought in via tourism was the Eras Tour…which was held in the NFL stadium.

by No_Author 2 days ago

Which minority shouldn't be free?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I'm not paying for any of it and watching all of it.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

They really should be free. Not everyone has the time or ability to travel to a different city just for one sporting event and watching via tv robs you of the experience of being there live at the stadium/arena.

by ElectricalLog 2 days ago

No, it shouldn't. It's a product that a business owner has a right to sell. There's no moral than imperative to give it away for free no matter how the stadiums are financed. Getting a government backed loan to start a business doesn't mandate you give your product away. They're perfectly within reason to demand money in exchange for a good or service. I just don't care. If I think what they demand is too high, I will find an illegal way to obtain it. Yes it is stealing. And no, I do not care nor feel any need to be dishonest about it. They own it. They can charge whatever they want. Also…. I will steal it if I think they're being unreasonable. No I don't feel as bad as I would if I stole something physical. No I don't have a problem acknowledging the hypocrisy of that. It's stealing just like boot legging CDs were stealing when I did that in high school. I don't gain anything by lying to you about it.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I believe the 'unpopular oppinion' is that sports venues (in some cases) are well worth the investment from the public. For instance, stadiums and domes, when used correctly, offere venues for more than just the sport of the flagship team or teams. They can offer a venue for concerts, conventions, they have even been used as staging areas and shelters in emergencies. These things have ripple effects in the community. Hotels, taxi rides, ubers, restaurants, etc.. etc.. Do you think Yankee stadium was a waste of money? Or even Citi field? Now, have they amounted to massive boondogles in some cities, yes. Should games in publically sponsored venues be free to watch on publically sponsored airwaves.. probably yes.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I think sporting events should be free in general. All the income should be generated from merch sales and stuff.

by Anonymous 2 days ago