Sorry, no one is gonna prefer to watch flag football over full contact tackling. This is an absurd article. And the fact that the Olympics are holding a flag football event is a joke.
Roman gladiatorial combat rarely went to the death. Fighters were valuable media personalities, much like pro athletes today, supposedly including product endorsements and billboard advertising! Battles and fighters were focused on spectacle. It was basically just the WWE
Really, no one? Flag participation is already higher for 6 to 12-year-olds than tackle. Lots of girls participate in flag. I suspect they'll be interested in watching the sport they grew up playing. It might never be more popular than tackle, but to say no one will prefer watching it is silly.