My sport media consumption “diet” is basically a mix of live games, highlights, analysis, and social media, with a little bit of podcasts and stats sprinkled in. Five years ago, my diet was much simpler and more “appointment based.” If a game was on TV, I watched it live, and if I missed it, I caught ESPN highlights or read a recap later. Most of my sports information came from a few big platforms, and I didn’t think much about how the content was getting to me. I just watched what was on and moved on.

Today, my diet is more personalized and more constant. I still care about live games the most, but I’m less dependent on streaming games and more dependent on my phone. I’ll watch full games when I can, but if I’m busy, I follow the game through clips, live updates, and short highlight posts. Instead of waiting for a recap, I see big plays almost instantly. I also consume a lot more opinion content now. A single game turns into a week of reactions, debates, and breakdowns, and it comes from everywhere: team accounts, league accounts, reporters, creators, and fans. My habits have also shifted from “one screen” to “two screens.”

In the next five years, I think sports media will become even more fragmented but also more tailored. More fans will build their own “channels” made up of creators they trust, and leagues will keep pushing direct to consumer streaming. I also think AI will play a bigger role by creating instant highlights, custom recaps, and even personalized commentary based on what a fan cares about. The downside is that it will get harder to tell what is accurate, what is biased, and what is clickbait.

If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the sport communication landscape, I would reduce the incentive to spread outrage and misinformation. I love passionate debate, but the current system rewards the loudest takes, not the best ones. I’d rather have a sports media environment that pushes smarter analysis, clearer facts, and real stories, because that makes being a fan more fun and more honest.