The largest sport in the world in terms of spectator numbers in person and on TV/internet is soccer, also known as football. This sport has a massive global following, with millions of fans attending matches in person and watching on various platforms.
In-Person Attendance
Soccer has the highest attendance figures for any sport globally. The FIFA World Cup, for instance, is the most widely viewed and attended sporting event in the world. The 2018 World Cup in Russia saw a total attendance of 3.4 million spectators over the course of the tournament. Additionally, the English Premier League, one of the top professional soccer leagues, has consistently high attendance figures, with an average attendance of over 38,000 per match in the 2023-24 season.
TV and Internet Viewership
Soccer also dominates TV and internet viewership. The 2018 World Cup final between France and Croatia reached an average live audience of 517 million viewers globally, with over 1.1 billion people tuning in over the course of the match. The English Premier League has also seen significant viewership, with an average of 527,000 viewers per game in the 2022-23 season. Furthermore, the UEFA Champions League, another top European soccer competition, has consistently high viewership, with an average of 4.2 million viewers per match in the 2022-23 season.
Global Reach
Soccer's global reach is unparalleled. It is estimated that over 3.5 billion people watch soccer regularly, making it the most widely viewed sport in the world. The sport is popular in almost every country, with top leagues like the English Premier League, La Liga, and the Bundesliga attracting massive audiences worldwide.
Resources
- "List of sports attendance figures - Wikipedia" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports_attendance_figures
- "World's Most Popular Sports by Fans - Topend Sports" - https://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/fans.htm
- "The Most Popular Sports In The World - WorldAtlas" - https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html
- "The World's Most Watched Sports - Sport for Business" - https://sportforbusiness.com/the-worlds-most-watched-sports/
- "65 Fascinating Soccer Viewership Statistics You Need To Know In 2023 - PlayToday" - https://playtoday.co/blog/soccer-viewership-statistics/
- "Super Bowl Pales in Comparison to the Biggest Game in Soccer - Statista" - https://www.statista.com/chart/16875/super-bowl-viewership-vs-world-cup-final/
- "2023 Soccer on U.S. TV – Year in Review - For Soccer" - https://www.forsoccer.com/insight/2023-soccer-on-u-s-tv-year-in-review/
Other Information
- FIFA - https://www.fifa.com/
- UEFA - https://www.uefa.com/
- English Premier League - https://www.premierleague.com/
- La Liga - https://www.laliga.com/en-GB
- Bundesliga - https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga