Considering that publicly funded (or royalty funded, which amounts to basically the same thing in feudal systems) sports has been a thing across all civilizations for all of history, I doubt the future people will blink an eye.
Seriously, I’d argue the solution here is to actually go even harder into it.
Club sports, build smaller scale stadiums and arenas for more localized teams and create a part-timer’s bracket for folks to get compensation while still being able to keep a day job.
Reserve the big time stadiums for big time games like regional title matches or tradition games like the subway series and home run derby.
Plus it’ll more or less instantly suck a lot of energy out of far right movements since so many of them tend to be animated by male sedentariness, at least in the modern day.
Considering that publicly funded (or royalty funded, which amounts to basically the same thing in feudal systems) sports has been a thing across all civilizations for all of history, I doubt the future people will blink an eye.
Seriously, I’d argue the solution here is to actually go even harder into it.
Club sports, build smaller scale stadiums and arenas for more localized teams and create a part-timer’s bracket for folks to get compensation while still being able to keep a day job.
Reserve the big time stadiums for big time games like regional title matches or tradition games like the subway series and home run derby.
Plus it’ll more or less instantly suck a lot of energy out of far right movements since so many of them tend to be animated by male sedentariness, at least in the modern day.