If you are fond of exciting outdoor games then this article is for you. Let’s see which are the top 10 most popular sports in the world.
List of Top 10 most popular sports in the world
These are the most popular sports in the world.
- Soccer
- Cricket
- Basketball
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Table Tennis
- Baseball
- Rugby
- American football
1- Association Football or Soccer
Soccer is no doubt the most popular sport in the world. Players use their feet to move the ball which is why the game is also known as Football.
- Global fan base
3.3 to 3.5 billion fans globally.
- TV viewership and TV rights deal
Because of huge viewers on TV, FIFA gets more than 1.8 billion for the world cup 2018 and 22 from TV rights.
- Popularity on the internet and social media
Football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonel Messi, and Neymar junior are very popular on social media.
- Salary
The salaries of players are pretty attractive as they earn millions.
- Sponsorship
Sports brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma are major sponsors of football.
- Access to general people
More than 200 countries and over 250 million people play football.
2- Cricket
This game is the second most popular sport in the world.
- Global fan base:
It has 2 to 3 billion fans all over the world.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
It is the most watched sport in cricket-dominating countries. ICC collects hundreds of millions of dollars from TV rights deals for tournaments like the T20 and ODI world cup and Champions Trophy.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Cricketers are very popular in social media, especially in cricket-dominant countries.
- Salary:
The average salary is around hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Sponsorship:
Sponsors’ deals are pretty handsome for Cricketers.
- Access to general people:
Cricket is no doubt very close to the heart of every common people in the Indian subcontinent.
3- Basketball
Basketball is at the third position of the most popular sports in the world list.
- Global fan base: Around 2 billion fans from the US, Canada, China, Japan, and the Philippines.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
Basketball is very popular in the US and NBA earns 2.6 billion dollars per year from TV rights deals.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Basketball players are pretty popular on social media and people frequently search for them on search engines.
- Salary:
The average salary of NBA players is more than 3 million dollars.
- Sponsorship:
US-based sports companies, Nike and Adidas are the major sponsors.
- Access to general people:
Basketball is popular among people as a free hand exercise, especially among teenagers.
4- Hockey
Hockey is the 4th most popular sport in the world. It has the formation which is field Hockey and Ice Hockey. Hockey is the national game of India and Pakistan.
- Global fan base:
Over 2.2 billion fans from Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
TV viewership is different in several regions. The TV rights deal is also decent.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Hockey players and topics related to this game are moderately popular on the internet and social media.
- Salary:
The annual salary of hockey players from the US and other countries are average of 3 million dollars.
- Sponsorship:
The sponsorship deals for hockey are not so impressive.
- Access to general people:
This game is not popular among general people as it requires a huge space.
5- Tennis
Tennis is at the fifth position on the list of most popular sports in the world.
- Global fan base:
This game has quite a good fan base globally. Developed countries like UK US Australia and France conduct 4 major Grand Slam tournaments in tennis.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
Grand Slam tournaments are generally watched by more than 400 million people globally. The TV rights for these tournaments cross more than millions of dollars in revenue.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Tennis players are impressively popular on social media. Tennis players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Sania Mirza, and Maria Sharapova have millions of fans.
- Salary:
From price money and sponsorship deals, the superstars of tennis earn quite an impressive amount of money.
- Sponsorship:
Different luxurious brands like Rolex, Mercedes, Adidas, Nike, Puma, and Toyota are sponsorship partners of tennis superstars.
- Access to general people:
Access to general people is quite good in developed countries of Canada us and Europe.
6- Volleyball
Volleyball is a very energetic sport and has the sixth position on the most popular sports in the world list.
- Global fan base:
Over 900 million fans from Asia Europe and America and Australia.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
The number of TV views is limited in the mentioned countries and the TV rights deals are not so impressive.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Volleyball players are less popular than football cricket or tennis superstars.
- Salary:
Salary is also average in comparison to other popular games.
- Sponsorship:
The major volleyball clubs have reasonable sponsorship deals with some popular brands.
- Access to general people:
This game is widely accessible to the general people, especially as a beach game.
7- Table Tennis
The alternative name of this game is pink Pong and it occupies the 7th position of most popular sports in the world list.
- Global fan base:
Around 860 million fans from Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
This game draws good Weavers and TV right deals during a major tournament like the Olympics and Commonwealth.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Presence is very limited in social media.
- Salary:
Salaries are not so high even for the top players.
- Sponsorship:
Small sponsorship deals from brands.
- Access to general people:
It has quite good access to the general people.
8- Baseball
Baseball is popular in US Japan Cuba and other Western countries.
- Global fan base:
Around 500 million fans globally.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
Peoples from us Japan and Cuba love to watch baseball and TV right deals are impressive end those countries.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
The popularity of baseball players is limited to these countries.
- Salary:
The average salary of an MLB player is more than 4 million.
- Sponsorship:
Players from the US get exciting sponsorship deals.
- Access to general people:
In US general people love to play baseball.
9- Rugby
This game is very popular in European countries like France and Spain.
- Global fan base:
Around 400 million fans from different countries.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
Rugby is popular in Europe and gets a good amount of TV right deal.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
The popularity is also Limited in specific countries.
- Salary:
The average salary is 60000$ per year.
- Sponsorship:
Some players have pretty attractive sponsorship deals from major sports brands.
- Access to general people:
Not as accessible as volleyball or football.
10: American Football
On the 10th position on the list of most popular sports in the world is American football.
- Global fan base:
Very popular in the US and have over 390 million fans.
- TV viewers and TV rights deal:
Most viewed games in the US and get billions of Dollars per year.
- Popularity on the internet and social media:
Players are popular in the US audience.
- Salary:
Around 2 million dollars is the average salary.
- Sponsorship:
Top players get pretty attractive sponsorship deals with major US sports brands.
- Access to general people:
Among United States people this game has pretty good access.
Hopefully, you get the list of the most popular sports in the world. Tell us which is your favorite game. Do not forget to comment below!
