The NFL and the NBA have been two of the most popular sports leagues in America for decades, but recently, they’ve taken a pretty substantial hit in the ratings department, and anime might be to blame. A decade ago, it was unthinkable to suggest that Japanese animation would usurp two of the most well-known brands in America. According to a recent survey done by popular streaming site Crunchyroll, however, anime might finally be stealing the limelight.
Millennial and Gen Z fans are flocking to anime in droves, and they’re choosing to watch it over tons of major leagues. It’s a surprise to anyone who hasn’t seen just how good anime has gotten over the past few years. There are a variety of reasons as to why anime is surging in popularity and major American leagues aren’t as well, and if they continue, anime will be king in no time.
Major Sports Leagues Are Falling Off
Anime Is Drawing Fans from the NFL, NBA, and More
The MLB, NFL, and more major American sports leagues are seeing all-time lows in terms of viewership. There are a range of factors that are affecting their ratings, and one of the biggest is that Gen Z viewers just don’t seem to care as much as older generations. Millennials care less than Gen X viewers, but Gen Z audience members have seen a much sharper decline in interest.
The MLB has changed a lot of its rules in an attempt to drum up viewers, and for the most part, it hasn’t changed much. Generation Z doesn’t care about major American sports nearly as much as previous generations, regardless of the rule changes. Instead of watching the Rangers play the Orioles for the 7th time that year, they’re watching amazing anime series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more.
Major American Sports Leagues Are, Somehow, Harder to Watch than Ever
Streaming Is Making Sports Harder to Watch and Anime Easier
Streaming was supposed to make everything better for viewers, and in a lot of ways, it has. Now, people at home can basically watch whatever they want, whenever they want: except for sports. Somehow, with the advent of streaming, sports have gotten harder to watch than ever. Streaming was supposed to create an easier method of watching the best local and national teams around, and it’s done the exact opposite.
If someone wanted to watch all 82 games of one particular team in the NBA, they’d have to be subscribed to a multitude of different streaming platforms or purchase a complex package deal through their network provider. It’s a frustrating, expensive change that is forcing fans away from their favorite sports and discouraging newcomers from joining.
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Anime couldn’t be more different. Almost every major streaming platform, like Netflix and Disney+, has a ton of great anime to watch at no additional cost. Crunchyroll, easily the biggest anime streaming platform in America, gives viewers a chance to watch so many amazing anime series that it’s hard to count. None of their plans are more than $20 a month either, giving affordable access to anyone.
Major Sports Teams, Brands, and Leagues Are Now Collaborating with Anime
If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them
Major American sports teams are collaborating with anime now, like the Texas Rangers’ recent collaboration with Jujutsu Kaisen. Anime has seen collaborations outside of sports too, like Dragon Ball Super’s French fast-food collaboration or Universal Studios’ addition of One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Anime has never been more popular, and everyone wants to be part of the art form’s success. Gen Z viewers only rate the Olympics, FIFA, UEFA, and the NBA above anime currently. With the rate of success that anime is seeing in the West, however, that might not last much longer.
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How Popular Is Anime These Days? According to Gen Z, It’s Now Bigger Than BTS and Pedro Pascal
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Anime is no longer a niche interest, nor is an interest that people would rather keep to themselves. Crunchyroll reported that 42% of anime fans watch their favorite series with a friend, and that 40% of anime enjoyers have created friendships online solely through anime. With that kind of connection, anime’s popularity will only continue to rise.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
