What are the most popular sports in the world? The joy that sport brings is proof of the positive effect on the lives of those who play sports. In times of war, the sport was responsible for bringing joy to the sad faces in the affected regions.
On this occasion, the countries involved in the 1st world war left all differences aside and gave a truce. This is to enjoy a beautiful football game, a very kind and charitable gesture in the midst of so much violence.
Based on the reach of the global target audience, online popularity (precisely on social networks), and gender equality, we will show you the 10 most popular sports in the world.
The joy, emotion, and suspense that sports bring are a testament to the wonderful effect it has on human beings. For centuries, humans have delighted in fantasy entertainment, thanks to the unifying and pleasant bond of emotional connection that he has created in our hearts and minds.
An instrument of socio-economic change, the sport has done more than amuse us, it has helped to build one of the most vibrant economic systems the world has ever seen. In some of the most prosperous economies in the world, the revenue generated by sports activities has helped to increase countries’ economic growth.
A testament to this fact is the effect that sport has had on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States of America (USA). The revenue generated by professional sports in the country accounts for 1% of its GDP, a wonderful recognition of how sport has helped to shape the face of the 21st-century economy.
Undoubtedly, the sport has received a lot of attention from all generations. There are several forms of sport, and we present the most popular sports in the world at the moment.
American football, also known as gridiron, is one of the most popular sports in the world, but most fans are concentrated in the United States. The Super Bowl helps to increase the popularity of this sport, with about 98 million viewers in the United States.
The sport relishes many followers on social networks and receives tremendous financial support from its sponsors, such as Verizon, Gatorade, and Bud Light. The highest-paid football players receive up to $78 million annually.
9. Rugby
As an inclusive sport for all genders, rugby attracts up to 6 million people worldwide. The most prestigious tournament in Rugby attracts the best names in the world, as well as the main brands, which are quite generous in sponsorships.
Brands like MasterCard, Heineken, Emirates, DHL, and Toshiba sponsored the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and help build the game’s popularity base. Rugby players also earn a huge amount of money, with the highest-paid player receiving up to $1.4 million a year.
8. Baseball
Baseball, particularly Major League Baseball (MLB), the pinnacle of baseball leagues in the world, has nearly 500 million fans worldwide. Baseball is largely dominated by male players and is sponsored by major brands such as Mastercard, Chevrolet, and Papa John’s. The highest-paid baseball players receive up to $38 million a year.
7. Table Tennis (Ping-Pong)
Although table tennis events are not as popular as other sports tournaments, it has moderate followers on social media. In addition, these tournaments are sponsored by major brands such as Autohome and Sports Master. Although the earnings of table tennis players are not disclosed, players certainly earn profitable sums.
6. Volleyball
A sport that attracts fans the most, volleyball gets a lot of attention on social media, but it’s not really televised compared to other sports.
The popularity of volleyball between both sexes is on the rise, making it one of the most emerging sports in the modern era. Brands like Mikasa and Dick’s Sporting Goods support volleyball events, while the best volleyball players receive up to $1 million each season.
5. Tennis
An intensive sport, tennis is a very common sport. The emergence of new talent in recent years has helped to increase the number of fans to around 1.2 billion worldwide.
Tennis played by men and women recently attracted a lot of attention from the media and brands like Audemars Piguet, Rolex, and TAG Heuer, who play tennis stars large sums of money in sponsorship deals. Tennis players receive up to $93 million a year.
4. Hockey
Both ice and field hockey are considered very popular sports in the world. In the US and Canada, ice hockey gets a lot of attention, which is no different from other regions. Globally, about 2 billion people are hockey fans, especially the National Hockey League (NHL).
The men’s and women’s hockey league also receives considerable attention from brands like Gatorade, Reebok, and others, which are willing to sign sponsorship deals with these teams. The highest-paid hockey player receives about $16 million a year.
A very popular sport in North America, basketball is one of the most talked-about sports today. The basketball game is followed by about 2 billion fans worldwide. The sport also has several women’s leagues around the world, which also attracts media attention.
Basketball fans can attest to the fact that brands are willing to spend millions of dollars on deals with top players. Sometimes, these deals continued even after the player’s retirement, as can be seen in Kobe Byrant’s deal with Nike. The highest-paid basketball player receives up to $92 million a year.
2. Cricket
Another popular sport with wide global reach, Cricket is the 2nd most popular sport in the world, followed by around 2.5 billion fans, mainly from countries like Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, and India. The most followed competition in Cricket is the Cricket World Cup. The 2019 edition of the event had an audience of about 2.6 billion people.
Although cricket is dominated by men, women’s leagues have become more popular in recent years. Cricket also enjoys a good number of deals from various brands. The highest-paid cricket players receive more than $20 million annually.
1. Football
Football is the most popular sport in the world, played by more than 270 million people worldwide, football is widely followed and celebrated, mainly in Europe.
The most prestigious tournament in football is the FIFA World Cup, which was attended by 3 billion people in 2018. In addition, all major football tournaments, such as the UEFA Champions League, the English League, and the Brazilian Championship, are widely commented on social networks.
While men’s soccer receives a lot of media attention, women’s soccer has been growing and gaining ground in recent years. As a result of the widespread attention that football receives from the media, major brands such as Coca-Cola, Qatar Airways, Pepsi, Nike, Puma, and Adidas have signed multi-million dollar contracts with football bodies such as FIFA and UEFA, in addition to major football clubs.
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