3 Most Popular Sports In The World Today
By definition, sports is any physical activity that involves the use of skills to compete with opponents and is guided by a fixed set of rules. The world has become so used to the games that it can be hard to imagine what it will be like without them. Today’s world is driven by entertainment, and sports make the entertainment industry complete. There are numerous kinds of sports, like tennis, volleyball, and golf. But here is a look at the top three most popular sports that are trending in the world today.
1. Soccer
Undoubtedly, with a global fan base numbering around 3.5 billion people, soccer tops the most popular sports list. It’s also known as association football. Throughout the world, soccer fans outnumber all other sports fans. The massive following leads to massive viewership, which means that there is big money in the soccer industry. Top-flight football clubs earn enormous amounts of money from TV rights, sponsorship deals, and other opportunities. Millions of fans around the world celebrate soccer gods like Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. On top of that, they make millions of dollars every year doing what they love most. The world’s football governing body FIFA, secured over a whopping $1.85 billion to prepare for World Cup tournaments (2018 &2022). The amazing thing is that soccer is not just limited to men; women play a part as well.
2. Cricket
Well, this looks like a joke, but it’s rather a fact. Cricket places second on the list of the most popular sports. And that’s because cricket fans are estimated at two to three billion worldwide. The sport is an outdoor game that’s played with bats and balls. Just like soccer, 11 players from two teams compete against each other in matches. Although the sport is mainly popular in England and other Commonwealth countries, it has the numbers worldwide. Countries like India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh — are really into cricket. It’s estimated that, globally, roughly 2.2 billion fans viewed the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
3. Basketball
If you are a die-hard follower of NBA games, you don’t need to be told that basketball is the real deal when it comes to sports in the USA. Basketball fans number over two billion worldwide. Countries like China and Canada are very active in basketball games. The fun fact is that basketball is also one of the most profitable sporting events in the entire world. In 2016, the National Basketball Association (NBA) of the USA made about $24 billion selling television rights for nine years. This translates to about $2.6 billion of revenue every year. How massive is that? Basketball heroes like the late Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are insanely rich and very popular.
The energy and the amount of wealth in sports are simply astounding, and frankly, worth it. Soccer, cricket, basketball, and hockey are the top most popular sports the world has ever seen. Indeed there are many other entertaining extreme sports like snowboarding, in which high-quality snowboards and other essential equipment are required to ensure you have the time of your life.