Sports are loved globally, but have you ever wondered, what are the most viewed in the world? Some sports are watched by billions of fans while others are only enjoyed in specific regions.
Sport brings people together, and brings out our passion. It gives us an escape from our everyday lives, and at the same time lets us appreciate the athletic ability of the sports stars.
Wrestling remains a popular sport around the world, but doesn’t quite make the top four list. Nonetheless, wrestling continues to grow in popularity, and wrestling-online is at the forefront for all the latest news and opinions.
Let’s get started, here are the four most watched sports.
Football
Football, or soccer, has been the most popular sport since it was invented. Every country in the world has a national football team, and most have a football league. Due to the popularity of the game, the industry is worth over $400bn.
The most watched event in football is the FIFA World Cup, which is viewed by half the planet. It’s safe to say, football brings people together and offers plenty of joy and entertainment. In addition to the most viewed, football is the most popular sport to place a bet on. It’s estimated that 70% of all sports betting happens on football. Nonetheless, finding the right sportsbook can be difficult, as you have to take different factors such as odds, bonuses and security into account.
Fortunately, comparison sites such as Sports Betting Online do all the hard work for you, and put the best sportsbooks all in one place. The platform reviews each bookmaker fairly and provides betting tools such as strategies and calculators to enhance your betting. In addition, the page is regularly updated with the latest sportsbook bonuses to claim and the best odds.
Football continues to grow around the world. In recent years, where the sport has not been historically popular such as the USA, it has grown exponentially. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada and is rumored to feature 48 teams. The event is predicted to be the most watched sporting event ever.
Cricket
You might not think so, but cricket is actually the second most viewed sport in the world. This is because it is extremely popular in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The game is also popular in the UK and its Commonwealth, such as in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies.
There are three main types of cricket matches; T20, One Day Internationals and Test Cricket. The biggest domestic league is in India, which is called the IPL. The largest viewership figure for an IPL match was the final, which attracted 426m viewers.
American Football
American Football remains the most popular sport in the USA to watch, and the Super Bowl is one of the most viewed sporting events every year. In the 2022 Super Bowl between the Cincinnati Bengals and the LA Rams 208m people tuned in globally to watch the action.
The sport continues to grow in Europe, especially in the UK. A few times a year, selected NFL matches are played at Wembley, or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Outside of the UK, American Football is struggling for growth in Europe, but still remains the most watched event in the USA.
Boxing
Still one of the most popular sports on the planet, boxing is slightly different than the others on the list. It does not have a regular schedule, instead when two fighters agree to fight one another, the fight occurs. Most boxers will only fight 1-2 times a year, but when they do, boxing fans tune in, in their droves.
The most watched boxing match of all time was Floyd Mayweather V Manny Pacquiao in 2015. It was dubbed “The Fight of the Century” and sold 4.6m Pay Per View buys. The revenue for the fight resulted in $410m, where both fighters were paid handsomely for just a few hours work.
Because of the popularity of the sport, new locations such as Saudi Arabia are hosting big bouts. British Heavyweight Anthony Joshua defeated Andy Ruiz to reclaim the heavyweight championship in Riyadh, 2019.
