MLB Struggling To Attract One Key Demographic

[yuiyoshida]

Fresh off a thrilling World Series in which TV ratings were up from last year, not everything is look good for Major League Baseball.

One key demographic -- children ages 6 to 17 -- is conspicuously losing interest in the sport. According to the Wall Street Journal, kids accounted for 4.3 percent of the average audience for the ALCS and NLCS this year, down from 7.4 percent one decade ago. Kids made up about 4.6 percent of the World Series audience. That figure is lower than the number of kids in the 6-17 range who watch the NFL, NBA, NHL and the English Premier League.

Making the situation more troublesome for MLB is that fewer kids are playing Little League. Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal notes that 2.1 million children played Little League baseball last year, down from 2.6 million in 1997.

The problem with the national pastime isn't just that it's past bedtime. More likely it is that baseball is slower and less action-packed than most other sports.

more..http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201310/mlb-struggling-attract-one-key-demographic