Restricted access's impact on sport

I'm watching ESPN Classic - finally got it on basic service - and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Which opened up the thought that, did boxing hurt itself in any way with the pay-per-view era and would boxing get a boost with a network TV contract for heavyweight fights? Not sure. But I think the NFL Network has been a fiasco, and ultimately, even with the kinks out, they'd lose their ass trying to put the Super Bowl on this network. Advertisers wouldn't spend half the money they do on networks where access is unlimited. I think, in the same way, baseball hurt itself when network baseball almost disappeared, and then, in the playoffs, became restricted access, even with the networks, in a geographic limitation. Ultimately, viewers lose interest if it's not readily accessible.

 

See: Premier League, English. Also a fine example of how television contracts and the quest for a worldwide product have left empty seats in the stands.