More than three-quarters of baseball fans support Major League Baseball’s plan to celebrate a shortened 60-game season, according to an ESPN poll released Saturday.
In the poll, 77% of respondents who said they were baseball fans expressed their support for the 60-game season, and 23% opposed it. Of all sports fans surveyed, 73% supported and 27% opposed the MLB plan.
MLB is scheduled to celebrate Opening Day on July 23 or 24, and players will begin training camps next week.
The decision to play a shorter season came amid the coronavirus pandemic and after disputed negotiations between the league and the players’ union that appeared to be on the verge of falling apart several times.
Respondents noted that they wasted time, with 58% of them agreeing that MLB’s slow return was a “missed opportunity.”
Still, most people said that public showdown won’t affect their baseball viewing habits, as 64% of sports fans said it won’t change the amount of sport they watch. Most (53%) had limited knowledge of the negotiations anyway, saying they didn’t hear much or nothing about them.
The survey was conducted Tuesday through Friday by the Global Strategy Group and included 1,003 sports fans. Most respondents participated after MLB announced Tuesday its agreement to start the season late next month.
.
