Mail Monday: Why is the NFL Market Proof?

How can the NBA become market proof?

For this Mail Monday, Reader Mike asks an intriguing question about a difference between the sports, one I kept mulling after Friend of Pod Bob Costas called the Kansas City Chiefs, “America’s team.” Could the other sports have their leading brand hail from a small market like Kansas City? Anyway, here’s how Mike puts it:

Hello Ethan,

Always love reading your Substack (especially the pro nazi content). 

Ok all joking aside I was wondering if you could provide some insight on how the NFL is unbeholden to massive TV markets unlike the NBA. Chiefs-Bills pulled in over 50 million viewers despite the TV market sizes for KC and Buffalo being number 34 and 51 respectively. If say Mahomes and Allen were NBA stars playing in say OKC and Cleveland I feel like the NBA would be doing everything they could in the background to get them to mega TV markets while in the NFL market size has no effect.

Thanks,

Mike

Thanks Mike, and man, I wonder if your joke about all the overheated allegations against Substack flew over some heads. Anyway, yes, this is an interesting difference, not just between the NFL and NBA, but also between the NFL and MLB. Why do markets matter so much in some sports, but not in others? What makes the NFL market proof? Also: Could the NBA become market proof?