Sports and games have a special part in culture. Today, there are hundreds of sports, some global, while others are synonymous with specific regions only. This article rounds up the most popular sports on the planet by following, global audience, competitions, professional leagues, social media presence, TV viewership rights, sponsorships, gender equality, and relevancy, among other dynamics.
1. SoccerWhile it may not be the most popular sport in the US, soccer is the most popular sport globally and has a large following in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Here in the US, the MLS competes on a global level, signing some of the best players from top European clubs. The game attracts a following of around 3.5 billion, which is almost half of the world's population. The prestigious leagues, and super-rich football clubs, as well as the highly paid athletes, make it a big deal. There are over 250 million soccer players in leagues spread across 200+ countries. 2. CricketSurprisingly, cricket is the second most popular sport in the world, with a following of 2.2 billion fans. While it is a novel game to the average American, cricket has a huge following in Asia, Australia, and the UK. In Asia, it is a national sport for several highly-populated countries, including India, which has more than a billion people. Just like soccer and other popular games, cricket has also featured in the big-money video gaming industry, and now, we have cricket manager games for all devices, including mobile (Android & iOS ), PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox. 3. BasketballThis is among the most popular sports in the US, and globally, it comes in third. With a global following of 2.2 billion, the game is popular in the US, China, Canada, and the Philippines. It's also gaining popularity in Africa, and Europe. The NBA is the most prestigious basketball league in the world. The average NBA team is valued at around $2 billion, so the likes of Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics ought to be really high-value establishments. That's how they manage to raise the salaries of top athletes like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the top athletes. 4. Field HockeyWhile ice hockey and other forms of indoor hockey are increasingly becoming popular, field hockey is still the most popular form of hockey. It boasts a fan base of around 2 billion people and is widely followed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The NHL is the most popular and prestigious field hockey league in the world, even though the sport is not popular in the US and North America. The game has also been left behind in terms of TV coverage, but this has been changing recently. 5. TennisClosing the top 5 list of the most popular sports in the world is tennis. While the other sports are team sports, this is the most popular individual sport in the world and attracts a following of around a billion people, followed closely by table tennis, with 900 million fans. There are several prestigious tennis tournaments, but Wimbledon is the most popular, and of course, the most prestigious tennis tournament. US sisters Serena and Venus are among the bigwigs in tennis in the women's category while the likes of Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal dominate the men's division. The above are the most popular sports on the planet. Volleyball comes in at sixth with 900 million fans, followed by table tennis and baseball with 850 million and 500 million supporters, respectively. Closing the list is American Football with 410 million fans, and Golf with 390 million fans.
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