Most Popular Sports in America

Sunday, June 7, 2009 ·

By Denise I Smithson

There are a few sports which are universally acknowledged as being the most popular sports in America. These sports occupy a place of prominence in our culture; and if you don't follow the sports world particularly closely, you might be surprised at which sports are in the top tier with US sports fans. Keep reading for a quick look at which sports currently rule the roost.

In professional sports, the most obvious answer is the National Football League. The NFL is by far the most popular sporting enterprise in this country and it occupies a great deal of everyone's attention. Pro football really started to make a dent into the scene in the 1950s and 1960s and today it outshines everything else. Of course, the Super Bowl is annually the most watched television event in the country.

It may come as a surprise to see that NASCAR is now among the most popular sports in America. In a few decades time, NASCAR has gone from being a minor sport with a small, almost entirely regional audience to being incredibly popular all over the country. Drawing crowds of more than 100,000 to events and an even larger television audience, the sport has managed to become one with mainstream popularity.

You might also be surprised to learn that another of the most popular sports in America is UFC mixed martial arts (MMA). A sport which some people haven't even yet heard of, MMA has gone from obscurity to being one of the most popular sports among the coveted youth demographic. MMA is a fast paced, intense and violent sport which has a lot of appeal to the young.

Rounding out the top tier are NBA basketball and Major League Baseball. Neither of these sports is as popular as they once were, but both still enjoy a fan base which numbers in the millions. Golf, hockey and tennis have slipped into the second tier, having become sports for smaller niche markets of loyal fans.

College sports are unsurprisingly among the most popular sports in America. The most popular of college sports is football, with each university having its own fan base of diehard supporters. The most popular of these college teams enjoy a national fan base and in cities and states with no NFL franchises, college teams enjoy a particularly important position. Even cities with NFL teams have many loyal college football fans - Baltimore sports fans are equally loyal to their beloved Maryland Terrapins as they are to the Ravens. College bowl games are especially big with fans, even with the playoffs lacking a truly cohesive structure.

While college football is overall more popular, college basketball has the most popular sporting event in the country short of the Super Bowl. This of course is March Madness, when millions of offices and groups of friends place wagers in pools and games are shown throughout the day. The chance of the tiny, upstart and underdog school upsetting the favorited powerhouse captivates. Some star players shine while others fail in the clutch, and legends are born each and every year.

As you can see, the diversity of our most popular sports is very great. From car racing to fighting, from football to basketball, from pro to amateur, there is a sport for everybody. The most popular sports in America may be different from what you expected to see, but the list is dynamic and always changing. Who knows what the next trend or the next several years will bring to the forefront of our attention.

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