Americans are immensely passionate about watching and playing sports. Whether it’s screaming on the screen during the Super Bowl or supporting a local college football team, sports are likely what bring together a diverse American community.
For more than two decades, sports television numbers have increased dramatically as a result of major and relentless advancements in new modern forms of technology. It is now possible to live stream a baseball game on your iPad or phone while going for a run.
Sports television numbers have increased dramatically as a result of significant and relentless advances in new forms of modern technology.
Unsurprisingly, the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals usually, always, feature in the annual list of the biggest sporting events. But that’s not all – globally, four of the biggest television rights deals are for American sports. Given its range of sports and the culture around games, here are 10 of America’s most popular sports:
Football
Whether you are American or not, the popularity of American football is attributed to Americans. It can be difficult to grasp the game’s metrics if you’re not from the country, but its popularity increases with age.
It is a very popular sport.
It’s a grassroots game, with every kid growing up with the hope of playing in the NFL. Easily, the Super Bowl is America’s most anticipated game that brings families and friends together for a night of fun.
Even more than the Super Bowl, it is the most anticipated game.
Even more anticipated than the match is the halftime show. Each year, more than 100 million Americans watch the Super Bowl, making it not only America’s most popular sport, but also one of the most popular sports worldwide.
Basketball
The two things Americans can’t live without are NBA basketball and college basketball. It’s no wonder that a majority of NBA players are former American college students. Cult heroes such as Michael Jordan in the game have helped grow the NBA to staggering new heights in their tenure. NBA stars are the highest paid athletes in the world today.
It’s the huge NBA stars who have a massive influence on the popularity of the game and growing up enthusiastic kids look up to the likes of Steph Curry and LeBron James. Attendance is also at a record high across the league, putting the sport among the most beloved in America.
Baseball
Baseball is probably the most famous, most beloved pastime sport for Americans. MLB and baseball in general are very popular with teams of all ages participating in the sport. The New York Yankees are unquestionably the most popular team among baseball fans and in fact the most followed team.
Soccer
Soccer may be the most popular sport in the world but it only comes in fourth place in America. Loved by so many around the world, it has only recently started gaining popularity in America.
Every year, MLS continues to grow and top athletes like David Beckham have contributed greatly to this cause. Following the 2014 World Cup which saw the team reach tournament elimination status, thousands of new American football fans started to take an interest in the game.
Ice Hockey
Adopted across Canada, ice hockey has incredibly engaging gameplay with drops, punches, and kicks that have made it a hugely popular sport in America. Many NHL players hail from Canada, but the sport is still hugely popular across North America.
Golf
Around 15 million Americans watched major golf tournaments in 2017 alone, which only goes to show that the fanbase is growing significantly day by day. The fact that Tiger Woods took the game to a whole new level in the 90s is undeniable.
This is a golf game.
Yet, following controversies and his injuries, the game has almost hit new lows in recent years. Of course, it’s currently in a pretty good state with new emerging talent coming in and giving hope for future prospects.
Tennis
As in the 70s and 80s, when the likes of Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and John McEnroe captured the imagination of the American public and enjoyed massive attention and growth, there is no so many Americans who occupy the first ranks in the men’s events, but Serena and Venus Williams still put in excellent performances in the women’s competition.
And popularity is not a concern here – every year the US Open brings together large crowds of tennis enthusiasts and fans from all over the world. Tennis deservedly deserves to be among the 10 most popular sports in America.
See our guide on how to build a tennis court in your backyard.
Boxing
The greatest boxer of all time, Mohammad Ali, was indeed American. He was good at everything he did in the ring. His rivalries with some of the most renowned boxers made boxing as a sport even more popular.
In modern day boxing, the most recognized talent is Floyd Mayweather, who broke PPV records making boxing more valuable than it has ever been before. Even today, boxing remains a very popular sport in America. Boxing is a very popular sport.
Table tennis
Although table tennis is not in the top 5 most followed or watched sports in America, it deserves to be in the top 10. It is a very popular sport.
Of course, it’s a growing sport and probably most people don’t understand how it works due to how difficult it is to develop. At first it may seem easy to pick up, but there are a host of skills one must master to be perfect. It’s like a mix of running, boxing and chess in one and the same sport.
The game involves hitting a ball to and from an opponent and success depends on skill and the use of the best equipment such as paddles and tables.
When it comes to quality table tennis equipment, especially ping pong tables, Killerspin, Stiga and JOOLA are very popular brands with several models available for indoor and outdoor play. .
The only problem is that ping pong’s popularity is largely overshadowed by a few other sports. It would, however, not be so surprising if it reached its peak within a few years.
Martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a relatively new sport that has just hit the world stage. Over the past 10 years, the UFC has gone from strength to strength to produce some of the greatest fighters of all time. The sport has become one of the fastest growing in the future, with more young people taking up it at an early age.
The likes of Conor McGregor are breaking multiple attendance and pay-per-view records by equal measure, proof of the growing popularity of the sport.
