Most Popular Sport in the World?
The Most Popular Sport in the World? Sport is a very important part of the lives of 80% of people in the world. We have some kind of emotional connection when we come together to watch or participate in sporting activities. It means different things to people; some consider it a hobby, wellness ritual, or even a profession.
No doubt sports are a very tasking and difficult activity, this is what makes it hard to rank them. The preference for sport actually differs in some regions around the world. There are different yardsticks for determining the most popular sport in the world.
Basis For Ranking the Most Popular Sports
Determining the most popular sport is already a difficult task, so we have decided to use it to get an accurate result and rank them accurately.
- Global following and fan base
- Viewership on TV
- Acceptance on the internet
- Sponsorship deals
- Average earning of athletes
- The number of countries that actively participate in the sport.
- Biggest competition
- The level of access to the public
- Relevance
- Gender equality
These are the criteria that were used to determine the most popular sports in the world. So without delay, I will be listing the most popular sports in the world.
The Most Popular Sports in the World
There are different kinds of sports that are played around the world. The most popular sport can be determined by using the criteria listed above like global fan base, relevance, and others. These are the most popular sports in the world ;
Football
Football also known as soccer is the most popular sport in the world. However, Football has the highest sports fan base in the world having around 3.5 billion active fans across the world and 250 million players around the world.
This sport is played in almost all countries in the world .its biggest event, The World cup which is played every four years is watched by half of the world’s population.
Cricket
Cricket ranks second on the most popular sports list with about 2.5 billion fans around the world. It is played mostly in Asia, Australia, South Africa, England, and New Zealand. Asian countries have the most active cricket fan base in the world.
The biggest league of cricket is the IPL. The fan base of cricket is steadily increasing and might become more popular than soccer one day.
Basketball
Basketball is one of the most popular and followed sports in the United States, Japan, and China. Since the game began in the 19th Century, basketball has amassed a large fan base both in their games and on the Internet of about 2 to 3 billion.
The game is supervised by the National Basketball Association (NBA). Their players are one of the most paid athletes relative to other sports. Basketball has about a hundred leagues around the world.
Hockey
Hockey is one of the most popular but underrated sports in the world. It is played mostly in Asian countries like India, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Hockey has another form called Ice hockey and field hockey. They also have a fan base of 2.2 billion.
Tennis
The simplicity of tennis is what attracts most players and fans to engage in this sport. It has about 1 billion fans around the world. Tennis is widely played in countries like France, Australia, and China.
It has a lot of sponsorship deals from brands like Rolex, Nike, and Adidas. Tennis players are highly paid and have a lot of big competitions like the US open, French Open, and Australian Open.
Volleyball
The game of volleyball is a team sport where two teams of six players are separated by a net. It has a fan base of about 900 million people. It is widely played in countries like the USA, China, and Italy. Volleyball has its biggest event every four years and the name of the event is the FIBV Volleyball Championship.
Table Tennis
Table tennis also known as ping pong is a very popular sport that involves two or four players hitting a ball of lightweight back and forth using a table tennis racket.
It enjoys an active fan base of 850 million fans. The game of table tennis is more of a hobby than a professional sport but pays pro players about a few thousand dollars to a hundred thousand dollars.
Baseball
This bat–and–ball game is played between two teams of nine players that take turns batting and fielding and attempting to score more than their opponent.
Baseball is mostly played in the US, Japan, and Cuba and has 500 million active fan bases. Professional leagues are played in the US, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia.
Importance of Sports
Sports are very important in life of everyone. It aids in the mental, physical and social growth and development of the body. The ability of sports to unite people from different countries of the world can help to promote teamwork, peace, and cultural tolerance.
From happiness and health to society and education, sports matters in the lives of all. It should be promoted and encouraged in all aspects. Other sports that are popular include tennis, volleyball, table tennis, baseball, rugby, and golf.
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