In a spiritual sense, sport has always been associated with freedom. It’s (supposedly) accessible enough that quality equipment isn’t necessary either. Soccer player Luis Suarez, currently on the MLS side of Inter Miami, learned to play barefoot in Uruguay. Similarly, tennis and basketball require minimal financial pressure, provided you don’t mind playing on the street.
Unfortunately, the shadow of extra costs stretches long, especially for people who show an aptitude for their chosen sport. Perhaps the most famous example involves the Lithuanian basketball team’s trip to the 1992 Olympics. It was funded by the American rock band The Grateful Dead because Lithuania had no money to send the team to Barcelona.
Avoiding the Outdoors
Most human activities have a financial element—there’s no hiding that. Even hobbies embodying natural freedom—like hiking, fishing, and camping—carry a steep entry price. Getting to a national park or a campsite from a downtown area can mean hefty transport fees, not to mention the cost of boots, tents, food, and other essentials.
Avoiding the outdoors makes little difference. Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends report claims that the TV cost increased 27% from US$48 to US$61 between 2023 and 2024, with most households having four streaming subscriptions. In the UK, 27% of individuals are signed up to a TV platform, 14% to a music service, and 10% to a gaming membership.
Console and PC gaming is a relatively new addition to household expenditure (the price of an Xbox Game Pass varies from US$9.99 to $14.99) but people have been setting aside cash for entertainment since currency became a thing – about 3,000 years ago. Gambling games are one of the earliest hobbies humans learned to budget for, and managing a bankroll is one of the first skills players are recommended to learn.
For instance, blackjack usually has a buy-in attached to tournaments.
Operating costs differ in each entertainment sector (and, therefore, the amount that fans have to pay) but sports fans suffer increasingly high prices for their hobby. Ironically, it’s not the taking part that’s the problem but watching the professionals play.
Participation Levels
Research from data company Ipsos says that four in five (81%) of Americans believe sporting events cost too much to attend, a figure that includes self-identified sports fans. This brings us back to a point from earlier, that there are too many streaming platforms for TV. As sport is usually offered outside standard streaming packages, higher monthly fees apply for the dedicated.
Oddly enough, the cost of sports appreciation has little to do with participation levels. The previous source indicates that 48% of Americans played at least one sport in 2022 – and the same percentage in 2023. Put another way, sports as a hobby may not be experiencing a popularity surge, yet organizers seem intent on making fans pay more to see their heroes.
The solution may come from on high, with calls to limit taxpayer money spent on stadium building. Don’t expect much to change soon. The next World Cup is scheduled for Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026—and there’s a lot of money to be made from the world’s biggest tournament.