In the Feb. 12 edition of “The Saturday Debate,” published in the Toronto Star, marketing professor Dr. Timothy Dewhirst debated Star columnist Rick Salutin on whether Major League Baseball will retain its fans if the season is delayed over labour disputes.  

Dewhirst argued that baseball is losing its appeal to younger audiences, with games becoming increasingly expensive and indirect competition from hockey or even video games stealing a younger audience’s attention. If the sport wants to keep its fan base, it should invest in marketing to younger audiences, he said.  

A senior research fellow in marketing and public policy in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, Dewhirst studies sports, arts and entertainment marketing.