Last month, a potentially ill-advised video caromed around the internet, as they are wont to do. CBS Sports betting analyst Mackenzie Brooks put together a “Sports Calendar for the Girls,” laying out when men’s attention spans are most likely to be consumed by their various fandoms.
Setting aside the video’s gender essentialism (it’s all delivered tongue-in-cheek, to be fair), it clearly found an audience, with nearly 2 million views on X alone. The summer is the best opportunity for women who are not sports obsessed to connect with men, Brooks explained in the lighthearted monologue. “This is your time,” she says early on, because there are “not too many big sports going on.”
Commenters quickly appeared to correct the record, as they are wont to do. What about the Olympics? And NASCAR? International soccer? Theoretical paramours should at least be warned about the release of the newest college football video game in July.
For once, the reply guys had a point.
The offseason is over. As a concept. Forever. Leagues are finding more ways to engage fans year-round online, digital algorithms are serving diehards fresh conversations daily and smaller sports are fighting over every last square on the calendar.
As always, the NFL has led the way with extending its calendar. Not satisfied with its fall and winter supremacy, or even its draft-driven takeover of spring, pro football has recently made plays for the summer months. Hard Knocks is currently airing a new combine-to-minicamp behind-the scenes show focused on the New York Giants this year that has already generated headlines.
Wednesday, Netflix released Receiver, a year after Quarterback reigned as the service’s most watched show for several days last July. The league is also investing in a massive youth flag football tournament that could become its Little League World Series, an event that takes place every August, benefiting from what were previously quiet sports months.
The NBA isn’t far behind in its around-the-calendar pursuits. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher’s Summer League debut Friday comes after two weeks of player movement drama, which came just after draft night, which came just after the end of the season. As the sport globalizes, international play has also produced must-watched summer affairs. And NBA commissioner Adam Silver has emphasized the WNBA’s role in grabbing the spotlight while men’s basketball players (theoretically) rest.
The day after the MLB All-Star Game has historically been one of the quietest for sports fans—hence why ESPN started hosting its ESPY awards that day. This year, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever promise to make some noise in their final game before the Olympic break on that date, July 17th. (The ESPY’s, meanwhile, are July 11).
During the Paris Games, sports such as surfing, swimming and gymnastics will look to elevate their standing in the American psyche. Golf, tennis and cycling already have their diehards, as do the likes of volleyball and track; new leagues and events are pitched at expanding those sports’ audiences even further.
That said, those new launches make it harder than ever for each to stand out. Increasingly, leagues will be reliant on the most marquee events—such as MLB’s upcoming Home Run Derby and All-Star Game—to break out beyond everyday viewers.
“I still look at baseball as the event of the summer,” ESPN commentator Karl Ravech said Tuesday. “But I think the summer has shrunk a little bit.”
There is a price to pay for the glut of offerings during the summer. Extra workloads and lengthened seasons have been blamed for everything from MLB pitcher injuries to lethargic play in UEFA Euro 2024. And there is a risk of burning out supporters too, eliminating the high that comes with Opening Day by never fully wrapping things up at season’s end. However, the alternative is even riskier. Take a day off and you risk letting your fans get sucked down a different rabbit hole.
Instagram and its peers play a significant role here. Digital platforms built on engagement algorithms work by identifying user interests and serving them, over and over again. There are no seasons online.
It’s not just sports seeing the effect. Summer used to be a dumping ground for TV programmers too. Now, the biggest shows in town—House of the Dragon, The Bear, Stranger Things, etc.—have expressly targeted this time period.
Today, there is always some sporting event to watch—and something else a fan could be paying attention to instead of what might have gobbled up hours like a trusty end-of-rotation starter in decades past. A sports fan’s time is hard won these days, by leagues, by broadcasters, even by loved ones.
That shift is felt most clearly on a warm summer night that’s anything but quiet.