Sports are an essential part of US culture. Baseball has traditionally been the most popular US sport, but in terms of viewership, American football has taken the fore in recent decades. Basketball clocks in at number three. It went mainstream in the 1980s.
The NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, and NHL are the biggest pro leagues based on revenue. The US pro sports market is valued at around $69 billion, which is almost 50% bigger than the Middle Eastern, European, and African markets combined.
1. American football
The NFL is the best-known pro football league in the country. Its 32 franchises are separated into two conferences, each of which enters a regular 17-game season. After that, seven teams go to the playoffs, which end in the Super Bowl, the championship of the league.
Of all major sports in the US, the NFL consistently gets the highest television ratings. Americans love watching NFL games on TV on Sunday afternoons. The biggest annual sports event in the US is Super Bowl Sunday. According to Nielsen ratings, this event has always been among the top-rated programs.
No pro sports league in the world enjoys as much attendance as the NFL. This league also has the highest revenue.
In the fall, millions of Americans watch college football. Communities in less populated areas are devoted to local high school teams. Fans can watch NFL games on Sundays when the pro teams usually play, college football on Saturdays, and high school games on Fridays and Saturdays during football season in the fall.
Football betting is very popular across the US, and more and more states are endorsing it. This includes huge untapped markets like California. Proposition 27, which is now on the table, would make sports betting in California on mobile devices legal.
2. Baseball
Baseball was the first sport Americans played professionally. Major League Baseball is the highest level of the sport not only nationwide but also worldwide. The sport’s postseason in October culminates in the World MLB Series. It is played between the National League and the American League, and a best-of-seven playoff determines the winner.
Of all major baseball franchises, the New York Yankees have won the most titles. Their main adversaries, the Boston Red Sox, also have numerous fans throughout New England.
The Phillies are the oldest one-city, one-name franchise not only in baseball but in all US pro sports. On the West Coast, the rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants has viewers holding their breath.
3. Basketball
Basketball ranks second in surveys on Americans’ favorite sport, but the National Basketball Association (NBA) is third in terms of revenue. Basketball is also the most-played team sport in the US. More than 26 million people say they play basketball. The sport was invented by a Canadian sports teacher in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The NBA’s 30 teams face off in the regular season from October to June. After that, the top eight compete in the playoffs.
Basketball is also very popular at the high school and college levels. Every year, the six-round March Madness tournament determines the national NCAA Division I champions in college basketball.
More and more players born outside the US have been joining the NBA since the 1990s. This has contributed to interest in the league abroad.
The highest number of professional basketball fans live in cities where the major pro leagues have no other sports teams. This includes the Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the San Antonio Spurs.
