Origins of the bond between men and sports dates back to the ancient Greece. Sports start as a hobby when we are kids and turns into a fitness regime over time, or some men want to pursue it professionally. You and I all see sportsmen as role models. We feel emotionally attached to our favorite teams and stars.
Today we are going to rank the most popular sports watched by men. We look at different criterias for ranking these sports.
#1 Football/Soccer
Football is the most watched sport in the world with over 4 billion followers across the world. Football dominates the world of sport so this one should be no brainer. This game is immensely popular in Europe. They see football as a way of life not just a sport. The most watched event in Football is the FIFA world cup. Over 4 billion people watch this sporting spectacle across the globe.
#2 Basketball
The next on our list is Basketball which has a fan following of over 1 billion. Basketball is a major sport in the USA thanks to the NBA which generates over $4.5 billion revenue each year. New professional leagues are also emerging from countries like Greece, Spain, France and more. This sport is only second to Football when it comes to professional leagues across the globe.
#3 Cricket
Cricket is another hugely popular sport among men. It is most popular in commonwealth countries like England, India, Pakistan and more. The game originates from England, and from there become popular in other sub-continent countries like Pakistan and India. The British empire left the sub-continent in the 20th century, but cricket never left. In countries like India and Pakistan is not just a sport but a religion.
#4 Tennis
Tennis has worldwide following of over 1 billion. This is one of most popular individual sports in the world where only a maximum of 2 and 4 players can play at one time. Millions of fans tune in each year to see the 4 biggest annual tennis events which are the ‘Grand Slams.’ There are a only a few sports in the world which promote gender equality and Tennis is one of them. Unlike other sports the prize money for male and female players is the same.
#5 Athletics
This may be a shocker for many. Athletics is a popular sport which includes several disciplines like Running, Long jump and more. This sport is the highlight of every Olympic event and draws the most number of viewers among all of other games. Athletics is the most represented sports in the Olympics. Like Tennis, Athletics also represents gender equality between both men and women participants.
#6 Rugby
Rugby is a major sport in developed countries like UK, New Zealand and Wales. The most number of Rugby leagues in the world are in France, who also pays their players the highest salaries. This game is quickly catching up in other countries like Japan, USA, Italy and more. Around 250 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2015 Rugby World Cup which was record in the game’s history.
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