The number of sports fans in the US and around the world has increased steadily over the past 50 years. Furthermore, after the repeal of PASPA in 2018 led to many states legalizing sports betting, the popularity of sports in America has been unprecedented.
However, the most-watched sports* in this country are somewhat different from the most popular sports around the world. Here in the US, American football is the most-watched sport. However, soccer is the most-watched sport worldwide. It is watched by more people in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia than any other sport. Popular sports in America are growing globally, with the NFL, in particular, growing its brand by staging games in the UK and Germany recently.
Meanwhile, cricket and field hockey, ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the list of the top 10 world’s most-watched sports, are completely missing from the top 10 list for American viewers. Two other sports – volleyball and table tennis – although they are the 5th and 6th most-watched sports in the world, are also nowhere to be found among the 10 most popular sports in this country. Betting lines are still posted on these sports on some US volleyball and table tennis betting apps, but the interest level and action are nowhere near that displayed for NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games. Another sport whose popularity has been rising meteorically is pickleball, but we’re yet to see wider adoption and the inclusion of pickleball sports betting in the US.
#10. Wrestling
Wrestling is the 10th most popular sport among American viewers and absent completely from the list of most-watched sports in the world.
TV viewership for wrestling matches by fans in the US is way down from its peak in the 1990s when colorful personalities like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “The Rock,” and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan consistently drew huge audiences. Now that these world-renowned wrestlers are all retired, no currently active professional wrestler has been able to capture the attention of American audiences to the same degree.
However, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a leading wrestling promotion company, has been luring and promoting well-known entertainers like actor John Cena and singer/rapper Bad Bunny in the hope of boosting the declining wrestling fanbase.
#9. Motorsports
It is no surprise that motorsports rank ahead of wrestling as the 9th most popular sport with American audiences. American sports fans love the adrenaline rush that motor racing provides.
NASCAR – the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing – is responsible for greatly heightening interest in these races to the point where they now attract millions of viewers.
