Which of the Following Sports Is the Most Popular Worldwide? Breaking Down Global Favorites

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Sports, some more, some less, are now fervently followed in every nation in our vast global community.
• People’s favorite sports vary depending on where they live, so it’s challenging to determine the correctness and dependability of various sports lists available.
• Based on nine distinct criteria and unlike the other sports on our list, football is the most popular sport in practically every part of the world.

Photo: Camp nou, Barcelona (https://unsplash.com/photos/soccer-field-6J7eIvNwttQ)

Early childhood is when sports start to play a significant role in our lives. A few times a week, physical education lessons are part of the school timetable in most nations, giving kids the chance to learn and play a variety of sports. We don’t completely stop playing sports when we graduate from high school; for most of us, it becomes a pastime and occasionally a career. Sports, some more, some less, are now fervently followed in every nation in our vast global community.

But we like to watch sports as much as we like to play them. We look for role models in sports and attempt to emulate them. Generally speaking, we have strong emotional bonds with our favorite sports teams and players; we are very excited when they win and quite disappointed when they lose. It comes without arguing that different sports pique the curiosity of people in different parts of the world. That’s why it’s so difficult to create a list of the most popular sports; unlike listing the pros and cons of exercising sports.

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Nevertheless, today we’ll examine the world’s five most popular sports. But before we execute that, it’s critical to understand the standards that ought to be applied when ranking them.

So, which of the following sports is most popular worldwide?

World’s Most Popular Sports in 2024

As mentioned, people frequently develop an emotional bond with their favorite athletes and sports teams and look up to them as role models. People’s favorite sports vary depending on where they live. Because of this, ranking sports is a very tough and demanding task. This is precisely the reason it’s challenging to determine the correctness and dependability of various sports lists available.

It’s critical to comprehend just what we mean when we say “most popular sports”. The adjective “popular” could refer to the “most-played”, “most-profit-generating”, or simply “most-watched”. However, if we only use one or two criteria, it would be unjust to categorize the sports by popularity.

As a result, we’ve chosen to answer the question of which of the following sports is most popular worldwide by ranking the most popular sports globally using nine distinct criteria:

• Worldwide audience and fan base
• TV viewership
• TV rights agreements
• Internet popularity
• Presence on social media
• Average pay for top players
• Sponsorship agreements
• Relevancy throughout the year
• The sport’s popularity in media headlines

Now, the list of the five most popular sports in the world was put together after extensive research. Which of the following sports is most popular worldwide?

Comprehensive Statistics for the World’s Most Popular Sports

The most well-known sports in the globe are covered in detail in the statistics and information below.

# 1 Football (Soccer)

Football’s dominance on the global scene is so evident that nobody should be surprised that it ranks first on our list. Compared to other regions of the world, football is far more popular in Europe, where it has become more than just a pastime for many people. Major newspapers frequently feature football news in their headlines, particularly in Germany, Italy, France, the UK, and Spain. Of course, let’s not forget Latin America and its countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, where football is like a religion.

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest tournament in this sport, followed by the UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Championship. Few people haven’t ever hit a ball in their lives, and football is among the most reasonably priced sports in the world to exercise, which contributes to its appeal.

Millions of football fans and wagerers throughout the world have a particular place in their hearts for the game. In addition to being the most watched sport worldwide, football also receives the greatest betting involvement on football sportsbooks. The 2022–23 season saw the English Premier League record the most sum wagered on European football worldwide. Around the world, 77.7 billion euros were wagered on EPL games during that season. In the meantime, 36.2 billion euros were wagered on the Spanish La Liga worldwide.

You may read more below about how football stacks up on some of the previously listed criteria.

Worldwide audience and fan base: Unlike the other “candidates” on our list, football is the most popular sport in practically every part of the world. There’s an unrivaled amount of individuals who regularly watch the sport and its regional and international competitions, reaching the figure of over 3.5 billion.

TV viewership: Football is unquestionably the most popular sport on television. The fact that billions of football fans worldwide are glued to their TV screens during every regional or international competition should give you some indication of how popular the sport is. The same is true for major leagues and club competitions worldwide. In 2022, when an estimated five billion people watched at least some part of the tournament, and 1.5 billion watched the final game alone, the World Cup frenzy hit all-time highs.

TV rights agreements: FIFA, the international organization that oversees football, receives the most valuable TV rights deals, contributing to football’s status as the most watched sport in the world. FIFA has earned $2.96bn for the television rights in 2022, to give you an idea. It was driven by media rights agreements for the World Cup in Qatar and accounted for somewhat more than half of the governing body’s annual earnings. Even though it’s running for over a three-year cycle, The English Premier League’s existing TV deal (from 2022-23 to 2024-25) is reported to be worth £5bn.

Internet popularity: It’s clear that football is quite popular on the Internet. The sport itself, various teams, events, and players are the subject of hundreds of millions of queries on all major search engines. Real Madrid was the most Googled football team in 2023 with an astounding average of 44.5 million searches per month.

Presence on social media: Numerous social media platforms are flooded with football-related information these days. It only takes a few minutes for a significant football event to become a social media sensation, with millions of followers worldwide. With the most followers, likes, and shares, players like Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo appear to be dominating social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X. Ronaldo has more fans than any other person in the world, football player or not. At one point, the Portuguese reached one billion followers overall (he presently has 985.1 million), making him the most followed individual on social media. He has 641 million followers on Instagram alone.

Average pay for top players: Do you want to get rich? Make an effort to become a football superstar on a global scale. Indeed, among all sportsmen, football players earn the highest sums. Players in the best European leagues typically earn tens of millions of dollars, if not hundreds of millions. In less popular leagues around the world, the payouts are also quite high. Last year, an average team player payroll in England, for example, was $175.6m. In Italy, it was $86.2m…

Sponsorship agreements: The numbers can rise significantly whether it’s for individuals, clubs, or national teams. Even for single players, we are discussing millions of dollars here. Companies from all over the world compete to get their name on the uniforms of the biggest football teams in the world. Football players also receive sponsorships from well-known sports companies like Adidas, Nike, and Puma, in addition to various non-sports brands. In 2023, Neymar terminated his Nike contract and switched to Puma boots after receiving an extraordinary offer worth £23 million a year.

Relevancy throughout the year: There will always be some football event in a one-year period, regardless of the season. The seasons of the biggest leagues throughout the world run from August to May. Additionally, international contests and international friendlies between nations are frequently held in the remaining months.

The sport’s popularity in media headlines: To what extent does football make sports headlines? It’s most likely the most popular sport in the world in this department, too. For instance, even in nations with subpar international football records and without a tradition in this sport, such as China, India, or Canada, the World Cup and other major football competitions, such as the European Championship and the Champions League, rank among the top sports headlines.

# 2 Cricket

Cricket has three different formats: Test, ODIs, and T20. The popularity of the last-mentioned, i.e., the fast-paced cricket, has been soaring ever since it first appeared. Cricket is currently the second most popular sport in the world; second only to football. The craze is different in Asia. More than 2.5 billion people are thought to be its aficionados including cricket-playing nations: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia, etc. More than 100 cricket-playing nations have been recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the world cricket organization. Cricket fan bases have grown even more as a result of leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL). You can have a great time playing cricket, and it isn’t necessary to be a professional.

Worldwide audience and fan base: Cricket’s fan base is restricted to a few regions. In the US, most of Europe, and Africa, it isn’t a popular sport. Nonetheless, this sport is played in some of the world’s largest nations, which we mentioned earlier. Overall, cricket has the second-highest number of fans worldwide, with between two and three billion, but the semi-official number is 2.5 billion.

TV viewership: In the aforementioned countries, where it’s most popular, cricket is the most watched sport too. However, in the UK, South Africa, and the West Indies, it’s one of the most watched sports overall. India is featured in all the most viewed cricket matches via TV broadcasts, including the one that attracted 558 million viewers worldwide – the 2011 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

TV rights agreements: The ICC makes hundreds of millions of dollars from the TV rights sales of its main competitions, such as the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC T20 World Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy, In many instances, the TV rights of bilateral series between nations are also valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2022, a record $6.02 billion was paid for the streaming and television rights to the Indian Premier League, the richest cricket league in the world, for the ensuing five years.

Internet popularity: Over the years, cricket has become more and more popular on the Internet. Cricket-related searches are becoming more and more frequent every day. This is partially because the larger number of people in nations where cricket is most popular are gaining access to the Internet. Since the beginning of 2024, there have been 64 million Google searches for Virat Kohli, the run machine of Indian cricket.

Presence on social media: Cricket’s social media presence is limited to the nations where it’s widely played. For instance, social media profiles and pages devoted to cricket have the most followers in India. On social media, well-known cricket players from all over the world are also quite popular. However, this popularity, we stress again, is limited to nations who play cricket at a high level. With about 266 million Instagram followers as of December 2023, Kohli was the most popular Indian cricket player on social media. The legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who had roughly 47.1 million fans, came after him.

Average pay for top players: Players in the best cricket leagues typically earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. These figures are quite respectable for a sport that’s still growing and changing, even though they are far lower than those of football. The IPL is home to the highest-paid cricket players in the world. Thanks to the competition’s growing popularity and financial boost, top cricket stars can sign big-time contracts. Also, the strongest national leagues in the world are played in regions that aren’t appealing for living to players outside them, so their clubs sometimes need to overpay foreign players to persuade them to relocate there. Mitchell Starc, an Australian fast bowler, is the 2024 highest-paid cricket player. He has a $2.92 million contract with the IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sponsorship agreements: Major businesses offer cricket players and teams some very lucrative sponsorship arrangements; this is especially true in India, Pakistan, the UK, and Australia. The tournament’s five-year agreement with Tata Group, valued at an estimated $60.15 million a year, is the 2024 IPL’s top sponsorship. It’s projected that sponsorship arrangements for the 2024 IPL will bring in $99.31 million.

Relevancy throughout the year: Since many nations continue to compete against one another in the bilateral series, the game is relevant virtually all year long. However, during the major championships, the sport’s relevance soars.

The sport’s popularity in media headlines: From one nation to another, cricket’s importance in sports headlines across various media channels varies greatly. For instance, cricket news is the most widely circulated news in countries that play the game, such as India and Pakistan, but it’s the case in Australia, and New Zealand as well, while it’s difficult to discover any news about cricket in countries that hardly play the game, such as, say, Germany and the US.

# 3 Basketball

After emerging in the US, the game swiftly spread to other nations and continents. With over 400 million admirers, this game dominates the hearts of American sports fans. Basketball requires both talent and athleticism to play. In order to succeed in this sport as a pro, it’s crucial to cultivate traits like strength and endurance in addition to being high. However, basketball doesn’t require a lot of equipment nor the equipment is too expensive and specific to play casually. You practically just need a basketball ball and a hoop, which you can find just around the corner or in almost every school gym in most countries. Legendary players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James from the most popular league in the world, the NBA (National Basketball League of the United States and Canada), have contributed to its growing popularity.

Worldwide audience and fan base: There are between two and three billion basketball fanatics worldwide, but the estimations say, this number is actually 2.2 billion or a bit over. Basketball is expected to gain even more popularity in the near future, according to experts. One would say that the United States and Canada are homes to the most of the fans. However, in China, an estimated 300 million people play basketball, and the sport is particularly well-liked there. When it comes to the most popular sports in Europe, basketball is right at the top. Serbia and Lithuania appear to be the basketball-loving nations in Europe, but Spain, Turkey, and Greece have the strongest national leagues, whose best clubs compete at the pinnacle tournament in Europe, the EuroLeague.

TV viewership: In the US, basketball has a high TV viewership. Millions of people in the US and abroad watch and follow the NBA. The biggest basketball television audience in over three decades watched the men’s basketball gold medal game at this summer’s Olympics in Paris. In a thrilling match that drew an average of 19.5 million viewers, including a peak of 22.7 million in the fourth quarter, the United States narrowly defeated France. To put this into perspective, only 11.31 million people watched the NBA Finals on average this year. Actually, since the 2017 series, the number of people watching a single Finals game has not surpassed 19 million.

TV rights agreements: The larger leagues in the sport have TV rights agreements worth billions of dollars. Over an 11-year period, the NBA reached television rights deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon totaling US$76 billion, the largest media rights package in sports history. Brutal, isn’t it?

Internet popularity: Basketball players were among the most searched athletes worldwide when it comes to Internet searches. In the US, China, and other basketball-playing nations including Canada, Japan, and the Philippines, they are highly sought after. The L.A. Lakers star James is arguably the most searched-for basketball player of all time. No wonder given he’s regarded by many as one of the best NBA players of all time. The annual search volume for his name is 77,564,570.

Presence on social media: Basketball teams and players have a lot of online fans. Millions of people worldwide follow the game’s biggest names. With his @kingjames profiles on Instagram and X, James has the largest social media following among NBA players and beyond. He has 159 million Instagram followers, 100 million more than second-place finisher Stephen Curry.

Average pay for top players: Some of the best athletes in the world are basketball players. Over $3 million is the average salary in the NBA, for example. Even if the figures are lower than in other big sports leagues throughout the world, they are nonetheless quite profitable. With an annual salary of over $55 million, Stephen Curry is the most paid basketball player in the world. Of course, he’s playing in the NBA…

Sponsorship agreements: Basketball players are in high demand by North American companies who want to promote them. In the NBA, basketball teams sign contracts worth hundreds of millions. Major brands like Nike and Adidas can offer partnerships worth millions of dollars to certain players. Back to James. Often known as “King James”, he has been the NBA’s face for the past 20 years. James, who’s regarded as not only one of the five greatest basketball players of all time, is a great teammate, a wonderful family man, and an athlete with extraordinary strength, agility, and stamina. He has a staggering $80 million in endorsement revenue, making him the clear leader in this category. The companies he collaborates with can readily explain this amount. Some of the largest corporations in the United States, such as Nike, Beats By Dre, and AT&T, have brand agreements with James.

Relevancy throughout the year: Throughout the year, basketball experiences varying degrees of relevance. The sport is very topical and in the news during the NBA season, from October to April, as well as seasons of other big leagues like the Spanish Liga Endesa and EuroLeague – all playable at the same time of the year.

The sport’s popularity in media headlines: In the US, China, and several European nations like Spain and Greece, basketball is widely covered and given a lot of media attention.

# 4 Field Hockey

Both ice hockey and field hockey are commonly referred to as hockey in most regions of the world, even though they are different sports. In Europe, Asia, and to a lesser extent, Oceania, field hockey is played extensively. It’s estimated that over two billion people watch it. It’s also a national sport of Pakistan and India. Despite being less well-known in numerous parts of the world, it plays a significant role in international sports and has its place in the Olympics family.

Worldwide audience and fan base: As previously said, there are about two billion field hockey fans worldwide. India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, and Argentina are the top countries for field hockey, according to recent statistics. These countries continue to produce some of the world’s top players and have dominated the sport for many years. With a record eight Olympic gold medals in men’s field hockey, India is often regarded as the origin of modern field hockey. When the Hockey Indian League (HIL) was established in 2013, it restored the game’s spirit to the nation. About 41.4 million people watched this competition in India.

TV viewership: The number of people watching field hockey on TV varies by region. It has a moderate amount of TV viewership in Pakistan, India, Australia, the UK, Germany, Malaysia, and the Netherlands. The 2006 BDO Hockey World Cup Men took place in Mönchengladbach, Germany, and had 645 million spectators globally. For field hockey, this is an absolute record.

TV rights agreements: Worldwide field hockey leagues get respectable TV rights agreements. Although the numbers aren’t nearly as high as those of some of the other popular sports, such as cricket and football, they are nonetheless respectable. It’s interesting to note that the financial details of large field hockey TV rights deals are rarely revealed. This was the situation when Viacom18, a TV and streaming company supported by billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani, acquired the Indian media rights for field hockey from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) this January. Except for the FIH Nations Cup, all FIH tournaments are covered under the four-year agreement, which is perhaps the largest in field hockey at the moment. It spans from 2023 to 2027.

Internet popularity: The popularity of field hockey on the Internet is moderate. The volume of searches for the sport varies by season and by nation. With 98,400 global searches, “field hockey” ranks ninth among all hockey-related Google search terms (including ice hockey and field hockey).

Presence on social media: Field hockey doesn’t have a particularly strong social media presence. There’s still some presence, though. By sharing their love of the game and connecting with target audiences at the same time, field hockey athletes and influencers know how to succeed both on and off the field. The star of the women’s USA Field Hockey team, Jacqueline “Cassie” Sumfest, has 79.5K followers and uses them to display both her skill for the game and the life of a field hockey player.

Average pay for top players: The only hockey teams that offer “just playing” compensated positions are the Netherlands and Belgium. The top club clubs in other major hockey nations frequently offer free housing, playing and coaching joint salary, or pay little. With the establishment of the HIL, things changed and clubs in India pay out satisfactory salaries to their players. In the middle of the 2000s, the Dutch team Bloemendaal reportedly paid Australian Jamie Dwyer, the five-time FIH World Player of the Year, up to €150,000 every season. In the Dutch league, international players often make €40,000 annually.

Sponsorship agreements: Although not particularly noteworthy, the sponsorship agreements for field hockey teams and players are nevertheless fair.

Relevancy throughout the year: Hockey’s competitive season typically takes place from fall to spring. All year long, there are international competitions. Many games are played in a short amount of time during tournaments, necessitating travel and frequently a demanding schedule. The Olympic Games, World Cup, Champions Trophy, Champions Challenge I and II, and Commonwealth Games are among the biggest events on the international field hockey tournament schedule.

The sport’s popularity in media headlines: The significance of field hockey in sports news varies. It’s quite moderately presented in the press, even in nations that are considered the sport’s most developed nations.

# 5 Tennis

There are a lot of legendary players in this sport. Tennis tournaments are held continuously throughout the year all around the world, however, the summer months see the most attention and spectators. There are various surfaces on which tennis can be played, including hard courts, clay courts, and grass courts (natural and artificial grass). There are almost one billion tennis lovers worldwide. With a sharp rise in players and viewers in Asia, it traditionally garners the most attention in North America and Europe. High endurance and physical fitness are prerequisites for the game.

Worldwide audience and fan base: Around the world, tennis has a large following. Even so, it’s more well-liked and watched in developed than in underdeveloped nations. Tennis greats like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djoković are well-known worldwide and have hundreds of millions of followers. A survey conducted in 2023 found that Spain had the largest percentage of tennis fans worldwide. Thirty percent of Spanish survey participants said they were fans of the sport. This was four percentage points more than Switzerland and Australia in second position and twice the worldwide average. The birthplace of tennis, France, has the highest number of registered tennis players. It’s also the place where the world’s top clay court tennis championship tournament, the French Open (Roland Garros), one of the four Grand Slams, is held. More than two million tennis players are registered in France.

TV viewership: More than 400 million people worldwide watch the four Grand Slams, the main tennis championships. On September 20, 1973, 50 million Americans and an estimated 90 million people worldwide watched Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes” tennis match at the Houston Astrodome. It was one of the most watched sporting events ever broadcast on television, and no tennis match had ever been watched by so many people before or since.

TV rights agreements: Millions of dollars can be made from the TV rights agreements for major tennis tournaments throughout the world, including the US Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open, and French Open. The longest tennis rights deal in ESPN’s history was inked this August. It was an agreement with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) that would last from 2026 to 2037 and stipulate that every match on all courts would be shown on ESPN for a total of US$2.04 billion, or US$170 million per year.

Internet popularity: The game of tennis is very popular on the Internet. After cricket and football, it’s arguably the third most popular sport online. In 2022, tennis was the most searched-for sport on Google, with Djoković, Nadal, and Serena Williams in the top three worldwide and with Carlos Alcaraz among the top 10 names.

Presence on social media: On social media, tennis players have a fairly strong presence where they are followed by millions of fans. In this rapidly evolving world of data and technology, tennis players can also develop their brand and serve as ambassadors for their sponsors in addition to the sport by interacting with the larger tennis community online. In 2024, at least 10 active players have amassed two million Instagram followers. In this area, Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, shines. The accomplished Spaniard became the first tennis player, whether active or retired, to reach the 20-million milestone. By the end of the year, he’s on track to add two million more tennis fans to his horde of followers.

Average pay for top players: Professional tennis players make up about 14,000 of the sport’s workforce. Approximately 50% of them will never get any money from the competitions they participate in. Top-ranked players are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Superstars in tennis are among the highest-paid people in the world. In addition to sponsorship agreements with well-known sports brands and appearance fees, they can earn millions of dollars in prize money. According to the tennis earnings ranking, Djoković earned an estimated $38.4 million between August 2022 and August 2023 (before taxes and agent fees). His totals on and off the court (an estimated $25 million from endorsement deals, appearance fees, and licensing and memorabilia income) and on the court ($13.4 million from prize money) are unmatched by any other active player.

Sponsorship agreements: Tennis stars are sponsored by companies such as Mercedes, Rolex, Nike, Adidas, Puma, Toyota, and others to promote their goods. Millions of dollars are frequently involved in these endorsement agreements. Nearly every tennis player who participates in grand slams and other important tennis events can secure lucrative sponsorship deals. The Swiss “Maestro” is the owner of the biggest reported deal ever. After switching from Nike to Uniqlo, Federer, who topped the endorsement standings even in 2021 when he wasn’t playing, received $300 million in total compensation.

Relevancy throughout the year: The summer and later summer months are when the sport is most popular. However, you could say that tennis is significant all year round because tournaments are held periodically throughout the year, even some Grand Slams, such as the Australian Open, which is in January. There’s no break when it comes to this sport!

The sport’s popularity in media headlines: Even with its enormous popularity, tennis frequently receives little coverage outside major tournaments and struggles to keep a steady presence in the mainstream media. Conversely, successful online platforms keep expanding and producing high-quality material. The mainstream media’s coverage of tennis in the Grand Slam-hosting countries (Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States) is inconsistent and frequently limited to the event and other competitions that take place during those months. Tennis fans would find it more and more difficult to stay up to date with events and developments during the remaining 40 weeks of the year if they only used traditional media sources. But there’s no denying that tennis dominates the sporting news often. Both developed and developing nations exhibit this phenomenon.

Conclusion

What’s the point of answering a question we asked at the beginning of the article: Which of the following sports is most popular worldwide? Sports aficionados are slaves to statistics, comparisons, and competitiveness and want to know how their favorite sport ranks in popularity.

Even though it’s still not perfect, access to sports has increased to the point where young people can choose to participate in a wide range of sports in the 21st century. In addition to the traditional mainstays, the Olympic movement has given new and specialized sports a regular, worldwide audience. Television and the media have also greatly expanded coverage of sports in general. However, it’s clear that the popularity of specific sports varies throughout society, especially at the professional level.

Football, cricket, basketball, field hockey, and tennis are the five sports that have long dominated the global scene. It’s a reality that’s largely accepted. There’s little question that the fivesome is the driving force behind the global sports juggernaut, even though you may occasionally see ice hockey squeezed in the “Big 5” or hear about the expansion of volleyball on a global scale. Some appear during a significant event or when something extraordinary occurs, while others appear to be completely excluded. It goes without saying that some sports will naturally be more popular than others in terms of participation, spectators, TV viewing, etc., such as the five we separated.