The Most Popular Sports To Watch In The US By Numbers

The US is a sports-loving nation. The love for the many different teams across the country unites - and sometimes divides - millions. Of course, just because so many of us are sports fans, that doesn’t mean we all love to watch the same thing.

As is the case across the world, some sports are naturally more popular than others. It might be that your favorite is also the favorite of many other Americans. Alternatively, your sport of choice might be more niche here. To get a better idea of where things stand, many have started looking at the numbers to identify the most popular sports to watch in the US.

5. Ice hockey is the fifth most popular sport in the US

With a reported viewership of 3.8%, ice hockey definitely doesn’t dominate the TV the way that some other sports do in the US. It would probably be a different situation if we were in Canada, where it stands as the country’s most popular sport. That’s understandable, given that their climate is much more suited to winter-type sports than much of the United States. Still, while it might not attract as many viewers as other sports, the TV viewing record for ice hockey here is still around 27.6 million. Plus, a survey did reveal that more than a fifth of respondents supposedly follow the sport, making it the fifth most popular in the US. So, it definitely isn’t hated.

4. Soccer is less popular in the US than in many other countries

If we weren’t in the US, soccer would rank a lot higher on this list. It’s the most-watched sport in the world, with billions of passionate fans in so many different countries. While a decent number of Americans do enjoy this sport, its viewership is 8.2%. Meanwhile, its TV viewing record is 27.3 million. Admittedly, events like the Olympics and the World Cup do help to bring attention to the sport in the US. However, the national team never tends to make it far enough to spark more excitement from the American fanbase. So, it’s maybe no surprise that it doesn’t rank higher here.

3. Baseball is popular with half of the nation’s sports fans

Falling into third place for the most-watched sport in the US is baseball. Some might have expected it to hit the top spot, given that it’s known as the national pastime of the US. However, while it has more participants than most other sports, it doesn’t quite attract the viewership of some others. It receives 14.8% with a respectable TV viewing record of 40 million. Its placement matches with the survey conducted by Statista, which asked Americans about their favorite US sports. Just over 50% of respondents said they follow baseball, which was the third highest on the list. Evidently, plenty of people enjoy it, although that percentage may well have been higher in the past.

2. Basketball potentially has more fans in the US than in many other countries

Just missing out on the top spot is basketball. Not only is it a sport that many Americans seem to love watching, but it’s also one that plenty love playing, too. In fact, it’s apparently believed to be the most-played sport in the US. From a viewership perspective, it attracts around 15.3%, with some 14,000 allegedly attending each match. Again, its placement also matches with the survey by Statista, which found that 56.6% of respondents are fans of basketball. That’s potentially higher than in many other countries, as it’s only the 10th most followed sport in the world.

1. Football is easily the most popular sport watched by Americans

Was there any doubt that football would rank as the most-watched sport in the US? So many athletes aspire to join the NFL when they’re younger, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events on the calendar every year. There aren’t as many participants involved in football as there are in many of America’s other most popular sports. However, it does reportedly get 38.8% of viewership, and it apparently has a TV viewing record of 111.9 million. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of fans show up to watch every game in person, with some 67,000 attending each one on average in 2012.

Are you surprised by any of the results here? With the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and NHL being some of the most established leagues in the US, it might make the numbers a little less surprising. However, if you’re a boxing, tennis, or golf fan, you may well be disappointed that your favorite sport didn’t quite clinch a top-five spot.