The Future of Sports Fandom

Sports have never been more available, and yet, many will tell you something feels a bit off about the entire ecosystem.In this episode of The Real Deal, Joel Adejola joins Sid R. to question whether the way modern sports demand attention is actually sustainable. Coaches themselves don't have time to change things from game to game, but many fans watch addictively and expect more and more. Not much changes from game to game because of the oversaturation of the schedule.With leagues expanding schedules, platforms pushing constant engagement, and fans expected to follow everything in real time, the traditional idea of “hardcore fandom” is starting to crack. Joel and Sid discuss how the system hasn’t adapted to how an increasing segment of consumers and 'selective' audiences actually live, work, and consume culture in 2026. Nowadays, a growing segment of fans doesn’t fit the old mold. They’re highly engaged thinkers, builders, and creatives — people deeply interested in strategy, culture, identity, and systems — but unwilling to surrender their entire attention span to constant consumption. They don’t watch everything. They don’t need to. And they don’t feel guilty about it.Sid discusses how even his best coverage and analysis has come from unplugging from Real Madrid as opposed to keeping neurotic tabs on everything like a head coach.We explore this alternative archetype of the modern sports fan: someone who engages selectively, thinks deeply, and values meaning over volume.