They should be a premium channels tier. Those who want to watch sports can pay for them. I think that’s only fair.
They should be but channels like ESPN won’t allow it. Here ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Deportes are in the basic package and ESPN Classic is in the $6.99/month sports tier. Then there’s Fox Sports 1 in the basic and Fox Sports 2 in the sports tier. NFL Red Zone is in the sports tier and it’s the only reason I see paying $6.99 a month for it, so I add the sports tier during football season and drop it after the Super Bowl.