Have you ever watched an American sports-themed movie? If you’ve noticed, there are several sports that are often featured as film themes. There’s a reason filmmakers choose these sports; at the very least, they consider the number of enthusiasts for each one.
In this article, we want to introduce you to the most popular sports in the United States. These sports are widely enjoyed by the American public. Let’s take a closer look!
American Football
American football is the number one sport in the United States. According to USA Sports, American football was created in the 19th century.
There have been many debates because this sport is not like soccer, as it’s generally known. American football is considered a combination of soccer and rugby. Ultimately, the sport is played by passing, kicking, and running with an oval-shaped ball on a 100-yard field.
One of the most famous professional football leagues is the National Football League (NFL). During the 2021 NFL season, the number of viewers reached 26 million. This proves how popular this sport is among the American public.
The popularity of this sport also encourages young Americans to become professional American football athletes. Many students start their journey by joining football clubs at their schools or colleges before entering professional leagues.
Baseball
Considered the ‘national pastime,’ baseball is also one of the most popular sports in the United States. For over 150 years, baseball has been part of American culture and tradition.
Initially, in the 1700s, baseball was a children’s game from England known as rounders. Over time, the game reached the United States and evolved into a different version. By 1845, uniform regulations were implemented, and professional leagues began to form.
Miraculously, baseball holds a special place in the hearts of Americans. Played during childhood and watched and enjoyed as adults, baseball carries a history that makes fans of all backgrounds nostalgic. Moreover, this sport has proven to be accessible to all races and genders and can be played anywhere as long as there’s an open field.
The national baseball league in America is known as Major League Baseball (MLB). To this day, many fans continue to enjoy the games every season.
Basketball
Following football, basketball is also one of the most popular sports in the United States. According to Statista Consumer Insights, 79% of adults enjoy football, followed by basketball at 61%. However, among young people, basketball is nearly the most popular sport, as shown in the graph below.
Basketball was first played in 1891, and in 1898, the first basketball league, called the National Basketball League (NBL), was formed. However, the Great Depression in the 1930s negatively impacted professional basketball players. Since then, there has been a feud between basketball association managers and the president of Boston Garden.
Finally, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and NBL merged in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). To date, the NBA is known to have 30 basketball teams (29 teams in the United States and 1 team in Canada). Overall, it is estimated that 26 million individuals play this sport.
Ice Hockey
Next is ice hockey. This sport is also considered quite popular in the United States. Although its popularity level is still below that of football and baseball, many Americans enjoy this sport, especially in northern America and Canada. This unique sport is played in an ice arena by two opposing teams consisting of six players each.
The first national organization for hockey was the Amateur Hockey Association (AHA) of Canada, formed in 1885 in Montreal. In the same year, the first hockey league was held in Kingston, with only four teams (Kingston Hockey Club, Queen’s University Club, Kingston Athletics, and Royal Military College) participating.
In 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL) was formed, which became the world’s leading professional hockey league. Currently, there are 31 hockey teams participating in the NHL. The best teams advance to the playoffs to compete for the Stanley Cup, which is considered by the International Ice Hockey Federation to be one of the most important championships for this sport.
Soccer
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. However, compared to football, baseball, and basketball, soccer is still less popular in the United States.
The main soccer league in the United States, known as Major League Soccer (MLS), emerged two years after the 1994 World Cup was held in America. Since then, the popularity of soccer in American society has begun to increase. Similar to basketball, soccer’s popularity is particularly appealing to young people, with more than half of the respondents who are soccer fans being under 45 years old.
Those are the five most popular sports in the United States. If you’re a sports enthusiast planning to go to America, whether for school or work, and are interested in joining a sports community, perhaps these five sports could be worth considering.
Last but not least, on October 4, 2024, @america will be hosting a movie night that is perfect for movie and sports lovers. We will be screening the movie Coach Carter, which tells the story of a basketball coach named Ken Carter who returns to his old school to coach his basketball team. Don’t miss it, check the event details here!
