In the 40s and 50s people mostly listened to sports on the radio. My dad’s family didn’t have a TV but he would look in through the window of some wealthier neighbors who did.

There have always been bubbles of people who are indifferent to sports but it is still the single topic that gets the most interest. I offended a jock when I said that ‘only’ 40% of people watch sports but that 40% is more than people who take Star Wars seriously or play Overwatch, watch CNN, or do anything else.

I’ve learned the hard way that you can interfere with any other TV signal (say with a small transmitter or a TV-B-Gone) and people don’t care but mess with a college basketball game and it is like taking food from out in front of a pit bull.