In the ever-evolving world of professional sports, lucrative television deals have become a cornerstone of the industry’s economic growth. From billion-dollar NFL broadcasting contracts to global broadcasting agreements for the Olympics, these partnerships fuel major sports leagues’ visibility, popularity, and financial success. However, the rise of such deals comes with significant implications beyond finances.

Television networks are eager to maximize viewership and advertising revenue so they heavily influence the scheduling of games and events. This drive for optimal broadcast slots often results in tight game schedules and gruelling travel demands for athletes. While beneficial for fans and stakeholders, these dynamics pose growing concerns about their impact on athlete health, which include heightened fatigue risks, injury, and burnout.

The rise of lucrative TV deals in sports

The sports industry has witnessed an extraordinary transformation in recent decades, driven largely by lucrative television rights deals. 

Soccer, football, and basketball are prime examples of how media partnerships have redefined the financial landscape of sports. Historically, soccer leagues like the English Premier League (EPL) paved the way with contracts totalling into the billions, such as their landmark deal with Sky Sports in the 1990s. Similarly, the NFL’s agreements with networks such as CBS, Fox News, and NBC have been incredibly lucrative, with recent contracts surpassing $100 billion over roughly a decade. The NBA has benefitted from its partnerships with ESPN and Turner Sports, bringing in billions while solidifying basketball’s global reach.

These agreements reflect sports’ increased commercialization as the audience demands more games and content. With expanding fan bases and greater financial stakes, sports leagues have sought to maximize revenue by increasing the number of matches, introducing new tournaments, and extending seasons. However, these financial imperatives have come at a cost, particularly for the athletes expected to meet these intensified schedules’ gruelling demands.

Increased matches and player fatigue

Top European soccer leagues like the EPL, La Liga, and Serie A already contend with congested domestic schedules. International competitions further exacerbate this issue, with tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Nations League, and an expanded FIFA World Cup format adding to players’ workloads. Games often occur in rapid succession, which leaves players with a short number of days for recovery and physical or mental recuperation between matches. 

The results are evident; top players frequently suffer from injuries like muscle strains and ACL tears, often missing crucial parts of their seasons. The sport’s relentless pace amplifies these risks, demanding peak physical performance weekly. Women athletes are especially vulnerable to ACL injuries — up to two to six times more likely — with very little study in the field thus far.

Manchester City midfielder and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri exemplify how congested schedules can impact players. Known for his relentless work effort and ability to dominate midfield battles, Rodri has been a key figure for both his club and the Spanish national team. However, the sheer volume of matches he’s played during the 2024–2025 season has visibly taken its toll. Rodri was featured in almost every Premier League and UEFA Champions League match for Manchester City, often playing the full 90 minutes due to manager Pep Guardiola’s reliance on his tactical intelligence and consistency. In September, Rodri suffered an ACL injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

In addition to his club commitments, Rodri has been a cornerstone for Spain in the UEFA Nations League and the Euro 2024 qualifiers. His inclusion in these high-stakes matches underlines his importance to the team and increases his risk of fatigue and injury during matches. In October, a tight schedule saw him play three games in seven days, which culminated in a minor hamstring strain during a Premier League game. By November, Rodri had already played over 35 matches in just four months. 

Soccer isn’t the only sport with issues. A recent example highlighting concerns about player health due to the NFL’s condensed schedules occurred during the 2024 season. 

In Week 11, several players sustained significant injuries during Thursday Night Football. Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton tore his ACL, ending his participation in the season early. Similarly, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave suffered a concussion and was placed on injured reserve. These injuries are part of a larger pattern where the limited recovery time between Sunday games and Thursday matchups. This increases the physical toll on players, exacerbating the risk of both immediate injuries and long-term health concerns like chronic traumatic encephalopathy​.

The NBA’s gruelling schedule and its implications on player health occurred during the 2023–2024 season. Prominent players, including Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler, dealt with injuries that significantly impacted their teams. 

Embiid had to strategically sit out on games in back-to-back schedules to manage his physical condition, reflecting the broader trend of ‘load management’ to prevent stress-related injuries from a demanding calendar. Leonard also faced setbacks, such as persistent knee issues that sidelined him during critical stretches, including the 2024 playoffs​.

Additionally, mid-season tournaments and frequent travel further exacerbate player fatigue. Butler suffered an MCL sprain during a crucial play-in game in last year’s playoffs, sidelining him at a pivotal moment for his team. Such injuries underline concerns about the toll of an 82-game season on even the league’s top athletes​.

These incidents illustrate how the NBA’s schedule pressures players physically and mentally, leading teams to weigh a need for rest against competitive priorities. This issue continues to shape debates about the future of the league’s structure.

The sports leagues’ financial dependency on TV revenue often outweighs concerns for athlete health. While leagues have implemented some measures, such as the NFL making 50 changes since 2002 to address safety concerns or soccer’s permanent increase of the number of substitutes from three to five in 2020, these solutions are often insufficient. The tension between financial gain and ethical responsibility remains a pressing issue.

Specifically in soccer, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin recently addressed concerns about the strain on professional soccer players due to demanding schedules. He proposed that to balance the financial implications of reducing the number of matches, clubs might need to lower player salaries. Čeferin emphasized the importance of aligning the financial aspects with competitive fairness, ensuring that any reforms are sustainable for both the clubs and players.

To explore this, UEFA has initiated discussions with stakeholders, including the European Club Association and the global soccer players’ union, FIFPRO. UEFA is also considering measures like salary caps or other financial controls as part of a broader effort to maintain competitive balance and ensure the long-term viability of European football. Critics — including representatives of players’ associations — argue that such measures might unfairly target players and smaller clubs while benefiting wealthier clubs that can navigate such changes more easily.

These debates are part of a larger context where financial sustainability rules — such as UEFA’s Financial Sustainability Regulations — are already in place, linking club spending on wages and transfers to their revenue. Moving forward, any structural changes, such as salary caps, would require collective agreements and legal frameworks to accommodate variations in taxation and financial systems across Europe. Still, at the very least, the changes could financially benefit overworked players.

Where to go from here

The rise of lucrative TV deals in soccer, football, and basketball has undeniably fueled the growth of professional sports. 

However, these financial successes have also introduced significant health and well-being challenges for athletes. As leagues continue to expand and schedules grow more demanding, it is essential to prioritize sustainable practices that safeguard players’ physical and mental health. Balancing commercial success with ethical responsibility is both a moral imperative and vital to the longevity of the sports that captivate millions worldwide.