It’s pretty clear that sports remain one of the most popular and lucrative pastimes in the world. For the athletes, they provide a lucrative career. But for people who watch and experience them, they can be a way of life. This article takes a look at some of the most popular sports across the world.
Soccer
Soccer is considered by many to be the world’s most popular sport. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen. But it’s clear that the sport generates a fanatical following on every single continent. The Barclays Premier League remains the most watched sporting league in the world. It’s for these reasons that soccer generates some of the highest financial figures in sport. There are loads of leagues and dozens of international tournaments worldwide.
Tennis
Another extremely popular sport is tennis. This is a sport containing players from all continents and an array of nationalities. There are four major Grand Slam tournaments in tennis. There’s the French Open (contested on clay), the US Open and the Australian Open. And then there’s the big one, Wimbledon. This year millions of people across the world tuned in to watch Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer. Wimbledon remains perhaps the highlight of the annual tennis calendar.
NASCAR
Who doesn’t love watching highly skilled racers behind the wheel of fast, powerful cars? NASCAR is exhilarating and mind-blowing to watch. And this might be a reason why it is so popular across the world. Many people became captivated by the legend of Dale Earnhardt Senior’s awesome racing career. And in the wake of his death in 2001 his influence on the sport continues to endure. His legacy continues to attract people to the sport and helps its exposure worldwide.
Football
It’s obvious that football is the premiere sport in the USA. With the National Football League, the sport generates millions of viewers. The Super Bowl Final remains to this day the most watched sporting event on the planet. In fact, we have seen in recent years a spread of interest in football in other areas. For instance, it is currently the largest growth sport in the UK. And the NFL have even begun putting on competitive matches at Wembley Stadium, such is the demand. It seems as though the sport will continue to grow across Europe as well.
Cricket
Cricket is a sport that is hugely popular across the globe. It’s big in the UK, but particularly among Southern hemisphere countries. The likes of India and South Africa have cricketing academies. They use these to develop prospects from a young age. A recent news article detailed how cricket is the most popular sport in Australia. The Ashes series between England and Australia is one of the most hotly contested events in sport.
There are thousands of competitive sports played and enjoyed all across the globe. Many of these have an international audience. There are a lot of sports growing in popularity around the world. But the ones mentioned are some of the more popular examples. These are enjoyed by millions globally, and continue to grow in influence and stature.