Artificial bubble? In what way?
Again, I can go with you to a point on "live attendance". And there will be some shifting of viewership from sport to sport, and maybe some nerd sports (drone racing?) might draw some eyeballs...
But INTEREST in sports is very high. And it gets refreshed by kids doing stuff, and then being interested in it.
So, sure, maybe "soccer" will be more popular in the future, but kids still do sports. And like sports.
Kids still do sports, it's what parents do with their kids because their parents did it with them.
Watching it, tuning in, keeping up with a sport, good lluck with that.
In coaching travel teams, I've asked them who they like, favorite teams, players, what other sports they like, same questions, etc. Not just scrub teams, but we play in some national competitions, etc.
They can name a few. You ask them about, did you see, etc. It's a blank on their part. Man, in my day, if we had the technology we have now, we'd see everything. Passion is still there for the sport, they want to win, but good luck getting them to watch it. They just don't.
For reference, one boy is 5'11 and in 6rh grade, I'd be shocked if he didn't play high D1. The other is a soccer player with a youth affiliated MLS program. My soccer child knows big name soccer players and clubs, but watch it, nah. Football boy, he's maybe watched a handful of football games combined his entire life. He's wicked smart, too smart at times, but watch sports, forget it.
Television has gone up for three main reasons. Comfy sofa and big television. It's also far cheaper to stay at home, **** has gotten outrageous. The age that watches and follows this stuff religiously (parents and grandparents) have other stuff to do (kids), so that leaves the old guard. They aren't getting younger and when they're gone, it's gonna drop. Kids just aren't built like that anymore, too many other interests.