Is NBA or NFL more popular?
Football Continues to Rank as Americans' Favorite Sport

Trend in Americans' favorite sport to watch, from 1937 to 2023. Forty-one percent of U.S. adults in late 2023 name football as their favorite sport, well ahead of the next-most- popular sports, baseball and basketball, named by 10% and 9%, respectively.American Football

1. American Football. Also known as gridiron and the most watched sport in the US, American football is a team sport played by two teams of eleven. Evolving from rugby and soccer, it's the most popular US sport in terms of viewership.Overview

Sport Favorite sport TV viewing record (since 2010)1
Football 37% 114.4 million
Basketball 11% 30.8 million
Baseball 9% 40.0 million
Soccer 7% 29.3 million

What is the most popular sport in the world :

  • 1- Soccer / Football. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated 4 billion fans globally.
  • 2- Cricket. The History of Cricket dates back to the late 16th century in England and has evolved into one of the most popular games globally.
  • 3- Tennis.
  • 4- Golf.
  • 5- Basketball.
  • 6- Baseball.
  • 7- Rugby.
  • 8- Hockey.

Who watches more NBA or NFL

The average viewership against all games (three for the NFL, five for the NBA) was 10 times higher for the NFL. For every one person in America watching the NBA, 10 people in America were watching football.

Who makes more, NBA or NFL : Generally, top NBA players tend to earn more in terms of both salary and endorsements compared to top NFL players. NBA salaries on average are higher, but not necessarily by that much. When you are asking about per-minute, the NFL is light years ahead.

Let's dive into the most popular sports in US:

  • American Football. The American Football League is the top sports in the US.
  • Baseball. Baseball is the second most popular sport in the US, with popularity in other nations, too.
  • Basketball.
  • Soccer.
  • Ice Hockey.
  • Boxing.
  • Golf.
  • Tennis.


The NFL commands the highest interest in the US, but it is the NBA that wins the global appeal contest. Additionally, NHL has a commanding presence in certain icy-weather countries and the MLB has diverse pockets of interest.

Is basketball the #1 sport

Second only to football in America is basketball. For over a century, basketball has captivated fans from collegiate to professional levels. The annual NCAA March Madness averaged 8.68 million viewers in 2023, while the NBA averaged 1.6 million.soccer

The World Atlas notes that the most popular sport in the world is soccer, with more than 3.5 billion fans worldwide. This impressive figure represents nearly half of the global population of 8 billion, who are united by their love for this dynamic and captivating sport.List

Rank League Sport
1 National Football League (NFL) American football
2 Major League Baseball (MLB) Baseball
3 National Basketball Association (NBA) Basketball
4 Premier League Association football


Last season, the NFL made $14 billion in total revenue, which was over $900 million more than they made the season before and a $6 billion increase from 2010. The NBA, on the other hand, made $7.4 billion in revenue last season, up 25% from the prior season when they made a total of $5.94 billion.

Is Super Bowl more popular than NBA : In fact, the Super Bowl is the American sports broadcast with the most consistent ratings, and draws substantially higher ratings than other sports events, including the NBA Finals and World Series.

What is biggest NBA or NFL : The NFL commands the highest interest in the US, but it is the NBA that wins the global appeal contest. Additionally, NHL has a commanding presence in certain icy-weather countries and the MLB has diverse pockets of interest.

Do more people watch NBA or NFL

The average viewership against all games (three for the NFL, five for the NBA) was 10 times higher for the NFL. For every one person in America watching the NBA, 10 people in America were watching football. Let's put it another way.

Most Popular Sports Ranked By Total Fans

Rank Sport Name Regions
1 Football (Soccer) Europe, Africa, Asia, America
2 Cricket Asia, Australia, UK
3 Hockey Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia
4 Tennis Europe, Asia, America

Unfortunately, high infrastructure costs are another impediment. Unlike basketball, which only needs a ball and two hoops, American football requires a very specific infrastructure, along with expensive sports equipment, which makes it so difficult to popularize the sport in other countries.

What are the top 5 most watched sports in the US : Among these, five sports stand at the top; football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer. While some teams are more popular than others millions of Americans attend sports venues around the country to root for their favorite sports teams each year.