Popularity is significant as it determines the number of “Viewers, Sponsorship Deals and TV Rights” and “Player Selections,” among others. However, not all sports are popular, and individuals have to sort through available reviews to find the most popular ones. The process is similar to checking out online casinos by studying the best reviews, including True Blue casino review 2021. Several factors affect sports popularity, including the fan base, deals awarded, available sponsors, size of the governing association and influence, Internet and social media influence.
Here are some of the ranking or popular sports in the world today!
- Soccer/Football
- Cricket
- Basketball
- Field Hockey
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Baseball
Soccer/Football
Soccer/football’s popularity supersedes all other sports. The World Atlas reports a soccer/football fan base of over 4 billion from around the World. With its origins dating back to the 19th century and in the UK and Europe, you can spot a football stadium in significant cities. However, enthusiast indicates that the game existed around two thousand years before, with the first instance of football occurring in China.
The sport accumulates over 250 million players in the World, and its presence spreads to over 200 countries. Plus, the organising body is responsible for making deals, purchasing viewership rights, and securing sponsorships for major football events such as the World Cup FIFA is said to have already secured the 2022 world cup TV rights before the 2018 world cup. The rights were worth around $1.85 billion, further emphasising the popularity of this specific sport.
Sports significant events can have over 3 billion active viewers both on television and live from around the World. In addition, players receive millions in salary depending on the event, such as the Premier League, increasing the popularity through major player scouting and selection processes. Plus, football is the most straightforward sport requiring only a ball for individuals to enjoy ranking it first, especially amongst the poor populations from around the World.
Cricket
Cricket comes in second on the popularity list with a fan base ranging between 2 to 3 billion people from across the World. However, the sport is most popular in the UK, India, Pakistan, Australia, and Asia. The sport has three variations, including Test, T20, and the ODIs, including 11 players. Since the introduction of the T20, the sport’s popularity levels are slowly rising.
ICC presents several championships, including the T20 World Cup, Cricket World Cup (the 50s Over), and the Championship Trophy. The deals and rights are over hundreds of millions in dollars, indicating its prominence and popularity. Back in 2019, during the Cricket World Championships, the sport witnessed an increase of 38% from 2015, reaching over 1.6 billion viewers during the game’s live coverage.
Basketball
The Sports Show, an online sports website, indicates that basketball enjoys around 2.5 billion people. Basketball has one of the most straightforward gameplay, with players having to shoot a ball and get it to go through a 46cm (18 inches) hoop in diameter. Each score carries several points, and the winning team is the one that accumulates the highest number of points at the end.
On the Internet and social media searches, basketball professionals are more sought after by fans. According to Forbes, the NBA is the most popular basketball game or season viewership occurred in 215 countries from around the World and in 47 different languages during the 2019-2020 season. Plus, the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have millions of followers on their social media profiles.
The sport’s popularity lags in many countries. However, the HEBA A1 of Greece and the Chinese Basketball Association League indicate that the sport’s popularity is rising beyond expectations. Although it is a male-dominated sport, females also play basketball. Professional players are few and exist in countries where the sport is popular.
Hockey
Both field and ice hockey hold a similar position as basketball around the World, with a range of fans totalling between 2 and 2.5 billion people. The sport is simple and involves passing the puck through to an opponent’s goal using a hockey stick. Field and ice hockey may be similar in terms of rules and points awarding; however, one sport occurs on regular ground or stadium while the other occurs on the ice field.
According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, the latest World Championships in Slovakia in 2020 went up to 1.6 billion television viewers. The broadcast occurred in over 155 countries worldwide and had over 470 000 attendees during the match. Even though the number is impressive, hockey is moderately popular in 80 out of the 155 countries.
Tennis
According to the World Atlas, the sport not only ensures gender equality but is also one of the most popular indoor and outdoor sports to gain such a high ranking in followers at 1 billion. The sport has two-game sets Singles for a single person playing against another or Doubles for two people. The aim is to hit the ball with a racket and let it bounce twice on your opponents to earn points.
The sport has a fan base worldwide, with over 400 million viewers in each major game or a grand slam. For instance, Wimbledon attracted 15.5 million viewers on BBC back in 2019 in 43.5 hours of live coverage, according to insider sport. The Nielsen sports reported 4.36 million viewers during Andy Murray’s second round that was a little dramatic in statistics.
Regarding the Internet and social media popularity and prominence, tennis holds a higher rank, with significant events taking the spotlight, including Australian Opens, US Open, Wimbledon, and French Open. Player popularity on social media comes second, with prominent house names like Serena Williams Roger Federer having millions of followers.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a summer game spotting several game variants over the years. The sport has become popular with over 900 million viewers. However, the followers and viewership are limited to game seasons or championships. Rights, deals, and sponsorships are not widely publicised, reducing the impact of the sport on the public.
A significant game event is the FIVB Volleyball Championship. Every country around the World holds volleyball competitions, but only 24 countries partake in the championships. The world championship occurs every four years. However, what makes it more popular is the sport’s popularity amongst women in countries such as the US, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and European countries. Plus, the sports are easily accessible to the public.
Baseball
The sport only has around 500 million followers, according to Sports Show, an online sports website. Sports professionals and the highest viewership are in the US, Cuba, and Japan. However, it still garners staggering rights in dealerships both in the US and Japan. Over 100 million dollars for each major gaming championship held, such as the MLB in the US or the Nippon League in Japan in Television Deals every season.
The popularity of the sport around the world is negligible. However, in countries with some prominent kin baseball fans, such as the US, the popularity is relatively high. Also, you will find a wide range of amateur players in selected countries.
Summary
The most popular sports in the world remain as the most followed and gambled sports outcomes. These include sports such as football or soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, and cricket. The determining factors remain fanbase, television and sponsorship deals, countries supporting the game, accessibility to the public, gender equality, and many more! The list is not limited, but the ranks retain the same sports all through.
