American sports, perhaps like many other countries, are the passions of American people, with every sporting activity boasting of faithful supporters. Right at the center of this culture is American football; the clear reigning champion currently holding the record for most TV viewers at 111.9 million and more than a third of fans consider it their favorite sport. This level of enthusiasm is unprecedented, putting football above other sports which people automatically belong to.
In terms of TV viewership, baseball/softball traditionally ranks second with 40.0 million viewers and claims the passion of 9% of sport lovers. Basketball, associated with American athleticism all over the world, is viewed by 24.4 million people and adored by 11 percent of the population. Nevertheless, ice hockey and soccer are substantially influential showing TV viewership of 27.6 million and 27.3 million, and a fandom of 4% and 7% respectively.
This diverse show portrays the colorful and enthusiastic spirit of the American sporting world which is as special as the different ethnic groups are; and how each sport functions as the community binder.
1. American Football (NFL)
Football, in particular the National Football League (NFL), occupies an important part in the American population; 37% of the American population loves watching football. This level of popularity is perhaps the reason why the league boasts of an average attendance of 67,591, making it easily the most attended sports league in the world.
The NFL has 32 teams organized into the NFC and the AFC that plays a regular season of 17 weeks leading to the playoffs then Super Bowl. This event is practically woven into the fabric of American culture; Super Bowl Sunday has become more like a second Christmas or Easter with its traditions such as people eating 1.25 billion chicken wings and 8 million pounds of guacamole.
It is indeed for the same reason that the NFL triumphs the viewership numbers; the weekly NFL games and irresistible charm of NFL odds. These odds not only engage fans but also create extra dimension and conversation and thus every game is a damn big event for the sports betting.
2. Baseball (MLB)
The sport of baseball is very dear to the people of America and many believe that it defines America like no other sport does. Major League Baseball (MLB) – the oldest major sports league in the United States being founded in 1903 while its predecessor, the National Association, in 1876. Thus, it has witnessed crucial eras of national identity, from the year Jackie Robinson was the color barrier in 1947 to the first Mets’ game after the September 11 attacks.
The MLB currently has 30 teams with 29 of these in the United States and one in Canada with teams in the National and the American Lega. Both teams go through a grueling 162 game regular season and the best 5 teams from each league progress to the postseason which results in the World Series.
Many, like in the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox baseball rivalry, and the American tradition of taking family to some games extend baseball’s role as the fundamental institution in American culture and heritage.
3. Basketball (NBA)
Basketball takes pride of its place as the third most popular sport in the United States, while also having a fan base across the globe, not limited to America only. This global coverage was cemented when the NBA transitioned during the Stern era to disposing of the troubled personnel and embracing what has become the league’s golden age of the 1990s headlined by Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing.
Currently, 11% of the population of the United States say that basketball is their favorite sport and over 26 million Americans are involved in playing basketball in one way or another, not only watching it as with other team sports.
The NBA itself has a strong network with 30 teams let into the eastern and the western conference where each of the teams participates in eighty two matches of the regular season. This heat increases as teams compete in play-offs in their bid for championship titles, thereby amplifying basketball’s presence in the domestic as well as in the global market.
4. Ice Hockey (NHL)
Hockey is generally recognized as the fourth professional sport in America but in the real cultural sense it holds a very strong position particularly in the states of America and Canada.
The National Hockey League (NHL) is of high competitive level: 31 teams are divided into the Eastern and western conferences. As teams strive for victory through ferocious performance in their play-offs, they seek for the docketed Stanley Cup – this Cup is recognized by International Ice hockey Federation as one of the championships.
While, in fact, only 4% of Americans claim that ice hockey is their favorite sport and it is ranked lower than soccer, the regional passion for it and the centuries-long tradition of the Stanley Cup guarantee its permanent position in the sports life of North America.
5. Soccer (MLS)
Soccer, which has been criticized for being boring, lumpen, and producing few goals per game, has gradually secured a sizable niche in the scale of American sports. However, it gradually became popular since 7% of Americans like to watch this sport and the TV viewership of the sport is nearly the level of ice hockey.
After the formation of Major League Soccer in 1996, the league has only grown and the newest teams to join the league in the year 2020 seasons are Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, making the total to 26 teams. This growth is due to the increasing interest in soccer; MLS matches that attract an average fan turnout of 20,000 is the third most attended Sports league in America just after NFL and MLB.
The current rising passion for soccer in America is an indication that it has grown into the culture of the nation’s rich diversity sports portfolio.