World’s most popular spectator sport

Young or old and no matter what status we have in our lives, casual and committed sports fanatics converge on sporting venues to support their favorites, either individual or teams.  To cheer and defend, most, if not all of us, had been to sporting events.

But different sports varies in popularity and likewise the number of fans. 

In a data analytics done concerning 18 sports made by GWI senior copywriter Roger Horberry, football, also known as soccer in the US, is the most popular sport on the planet with “53% following, watching or simply interested.”

His research also tells us that among people who watch any sport, football is the most watched at 65%.  At 35%, it is also the most played by people who participate in any sport.

Coming second in popularity to football is basketball at 40% followed by volleyball with 34%.  Swimming, badminton and table tennis share 29%, cycling at 25% with athletics and gymnastics coming in with 24%.

Three countries don’t feature football as the most watched – the USA, Canada and the Philippines.

American football, basketball and baseball are the big three in US sports.  American football gets a massive chunk of viewership with 79%.  Since 1972, the sport had overtaken the popularity of baseball and continues up to this day.   With its ridiculously high-priced tickets, the Super Bowl is the most watched television event every year.

Basketball (58%) and baseball (56%) round up the US top three most watched sport.  Football (34%) and tennis (31%) complete the top five.

In Canada, with a much colder weather than its US neighbors, ice hockey reigns supreme in popularity at 71% followed by basketball (44%), football (42%), American football (42%) and baseball (40%).

No question, basketball, with 86%, is tops in our country that neither rain or storm nor gloom of night can put out our burning love for it.  The sweltering passion is so much that some had turned it into a hybrid mix of hoops and mixed martial arts.  And to an extent a target practice for a measly sum of a few thousand pesos.

Winding up next in popularity is understandably volleyball, courtesy of our V-league and the Alas Pilipinas, accounting for 73%.  With several world champions in different weight classes and a cancelled and unsanctioned non-title bout in the senate, boxing takes third place in popularity with 59% followed by badminton (47%) and swimming (46%).

Whether team or individual, one event could very well be in the PH top five list, perhaps dislodging basketball.  In every eskinita, establishment and even in houses of prayer, ‘marites’ is the name of the game.