#1 ·
I was sitting on my couch last night, scrolling through a bunch of streaming services, trying to figure out what to watch, and I realized how much my relationship with "major" sporting events has changed over the last decade. I remember being a kid and the excitement that would build up for weeks leading up to a massive multi-sport tournament. You’d track the athletes, you’d know the schedule by heart, and there was this collective sense of "this is happening, and we’re all watching it together." It felt like a cultural anchor.
Now? It feels like everything is just… fragmented. We have so much access to every niche sport imaginable that the "grand spectacle" feels a lot less special. I find myself looking at these massive upcoming schedules and thinking, "Do I actually care about the start times? Do I even want to commit three hours to watching a heat of something I don't follow, just because it's part of a 'big' series?"
I think part of the problem is how we consume media now. We’ve moved from the communal experience of sitting around a TV to this hyper-individualized, on-demand existence. If I want to see a specific discipline, I’ll find a clip on social media or a highlight reel on YouTube. The idea of sitting through a broadcast that’s heavily padded with ceremonies, commercials, and filler feels like a chore. The "event" is no longer a destination; it’s just another piece of content competing with a million other things for my limited attention span.
I also can’t help but wonder if the sheer scale of these international competitions is becoming unsustainable, or at least, less relevant to the way we live. We see these massive logistical undertakings—scheduling hundreds of events across different venues, trying to coordinate global broadcasts, managing the sheer volume of participants—and I have to ask: who is this actually for? Is it for the athletes to prove themselves on a massive stage, or is it for a dwindling audience that is increasingly being pulled toward shorter, punchier, more digestible moments of action?
I’ve noticed a shift where I’m much more interested in individual stories or specific, high-intensity moments than I am in the broad, sweeping narrative of a multi-sport games. I’ll tune in for the heavy hitters in the swimming pool or the intense bursts of gymnastics, but the "middle" of these events often feels like dead air. We’ve become a "highlight" culture. We want the peak, not the journey.
There’s also the question of the "vibe." There used to be a certain prestige associated with these massive international gatherings. Now, with so many different leagues and specialized tournaments popping up every month, the prestige feels diluted. It’s hard to feel that sense of awe when there’s always another tournament, another series, or another streaming exclusive right around the corner.
I’m curious to hear what you guys think. Do you still get that "event fever" when a major international multi-sport competition is announced, or have you become like me—someone who mostly just checks the results on their phone and moves on? Does the sheer variety of sports offered even matter if we aren't watching the full broadcast anymore?
Now? It feels like everything is just… fragmented. We have so much access to every niche sport imaginable that the "grand spectacle" feels a lot less special. I find myself looking at these massive upcoming schedules and thinking, "Do I actually care about the start times? Do I even want to commit three hours to watching a heat of something I don't follow, just because it's part of a 'big' series?"
I think part of the problem is how we consume media now. We’ve moved from the communal experience of sitting around a TV to this hyper-individualized, on-demand existence. If I want to see a specific discipline, I’ll find a clip on social media or a highlight reel on YouTube. The idea of sitting through a broadcast that’s heavily padded with ceremonies, commercials, and filler feels like a chore. The "event" is no longer a destination; it’s just another piece of content competing with a million other things for my limited attention span.
I also can’t help but wonder if the sheer scale of these international competitions is becoming unsustainable, or at least, less relevant to the way we live. We see these massive logistical undertakings—scheduling hundreds of events across different venues, trying to coordinate global broadcasts, managing the sheer volume of participants—and I have to ask: who is this actually for? Is it for the athletes to prove themselves on a massive stage, or is it for a dwindling audience that is increasingly being pulled toward shorter, punchier, more digestible moments of action?
I’ve noticed a shift where I’m much more interested in individual stories or specific, high-intensity moments than I am in the broad, sweeping narrative of a multi-sport games. I’ll tune in for the heavy hitters in the swimming pool or the intense bursts of gymnastics, but the "middle" of these events often feels like dead air. We’ve become a "highlight" culture. We want the peak, not the journey.
There’s also the question of the "vibe." There used to be a certain prestige associated with these massive international gatherings. Now, with so many different leagues and specialized tournaments popping up every month, the prestige feels diluted. It’s hard to feel that sense of awe when there’s always another tournament, another series, or another streaming exclusive right around the corner.
I’m curious to hear what you guys think. Do you still get that "event fever" when a major international multi-sport competition is announced, or have you become like me—someone who mostly just checks the results on their phone and moves on? Does the sheer variety of sports offered even matter if we aren't watching the full broadcast anymore?