Cam Newton claims ‘dying’ baseball will be surpassed by WNBA

Dec 16, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton watches a game between the Howard Bison and Florida A&M Rattlers in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL quarterback-turned-media personality Cam Newton isn’t short on hot takes, and he’s not afraid to say crazy things. That trend continued during a recent episode of his 4th&1 podcast where Newton made the wild claim that the sport of baseball is dying and will be surpassed by the WNBA over the next 20 years.

“Who’s really paying attention to baseball — especially paying attention to baseball in the regular season?” Newton said. “Baseball is like a — I hate to say it — a dying sport. I think baseball will be surpassed by the WNBA in 20 years.

“Baseball ain’t even being played by Americans anymore.”

The WNBA did see a significant boost in popularity this past season thanks to the arrival of Caitlin Clark, but it still pales in comparison to Major League Baseball despite a significant dip in viewership during the 2023 season.

The product rebounded in 2024, recording their highest attendance in seven years and a record number of streaming minutes on MLB.tv. It was also the first time in over a decade that the MLB saw attendance growth in back-to-back seasons.

Obviously, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred still has some work to do, but baseball is far from a “dying” sport, as Newton asserted. It is one of the most popular sports in America for kids to play. And the WNBA, while finally getting some of the recognition it deserves, is so far back of the field that none of the major American sports are even viewing it as a ratings challenger.