A number of prominent sports communities on Reddit are considering a change that would considerably shakeup the content seen by their subscribers.
In a movement that seemingly gained steam on the r/hockey subreddit before spreading to the Reddit communities of other major sports leagues, Reddit users and subreddit moderators are considering banning posts that originate from the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Posts about the topic on the NFL, NBA, MLB, and MLS subreddits have garnered widespread attention within those communities.
The issue for most users seems to be around the login requirement that X has recently implemented. Now, when a Reddit user clicks on a post that links to X, that user is required to be logged in to an X account or they cannot view the linked content.
For a platform like Reddit where much of its value is in aggregating content from across numerous online platforms, that can cause headaches for users who simply want to view the content and move on.
Some Reddit users are suggesting that subreddits require embedded videos or screenshots of X posts rather than a direct link to the posts in question because of the new login requirements.
Should these rules be implemented, major sports subreddits would look a lot different. Currently, four of the top five posts of the day on r/NBA are links to X. Similarly, most sports subreddits are littered with X links on their front pages.
A ban on X would also have widespread implications on reporters, team accounts, and websites that rely on traffic generated via these Reddit communities as part of their audience. Reddit communities often serve as a megaphone for reporting or stories that are first posted on X. Oftentimes, these X posts include direct links to someone’s work, meaning a viral Reddit thread can directly impact someone’s bottom line.
As of now, the X alternative Bluesky does not require a login for users to view content, sparking some Reddit users to suggest posting links from there instead.
If these bans are implemented, it’d be one of the most significant signs yet that users are growing frustrated with ongoing changes to X that diminish what was once a user-friendly experience.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.