The TOP-10 Most Popular Sports In America 2020

Americans are fond of sport and it`s a big part of their culture. Baseball, football and other types of activities attract not only male but also female attention. The vast majority of people in the US are interested or involved in sports.

American sports are steadily gaining popularity around the world, and today they are practiced both at a professional level and the level of educational institutions.

Information on what are the most popular sports in the USA, rating, name of sports associations, history and much more is below.

10. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

This is an ancient kind of martial arts, combining kicks and punches. It is a relatively new sport that became popular only several decades ago in the early ’90s. However, MMA is now in the TOP-10 most common sports in the USA and it has excellent prospects for further development.

In the United States, the popularity of mixed fights began to grow after 1993, when the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tournament was held in Denver, Colorado. The championship was organized by California businessman Art Davy and head of the Jiu-Jitsu school, Rorion Gracie.

9. Tennis

This type of sport has become less popular over the last decade. According to recent reports, about 14 million people in America are interested in or play tennis themselves. The golden time of this sport in the United States occurred in the `70s, early `80s, and `90s and is associated with such names as Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi. Since then, the popularity of tennis in the United States has gradually declined, largely due to the lack of prominent American tennis players among the leaders and winners of Grand Slam tournaments. The last ten years of American tennis have been associated exclusively with the success of the Williams sisters.

8. Golf

In recent years, the popularity jump of golf has occurred due to the opening of new centers for the game of TopGolf fans. As of 2016, more than 20 million people regularly play golf in the United States.

Golf has spread widely in the vastness of America and Western Europe. In most cases, it has become a lifestyle. Many doctors note that golf is a very useful sport: the development of muscle mass occurs at low load, which leads to gradual fatigue. The ideal workout is walking, which makes up most of the game of golf.

There is an opinion that golf is a game of aristocrats. However, this is easily refuted. Since everyone can play, and financial influences are not dimensionless. Costs are provided in each sport. Moreover, in golf they are one-time: clubs are bought only once and can last more than 20 years, a club fee is one-time. Throughout its history, golf has conquered millions of people. It should be noted that golf includes entertainment, sports, and outdoor recreation in the lap of nature.

7. Motorsport

There is something incredible about auto racing which makes Americans crazy about it. They like to feel the adrenaline rush, to watch the fast movement of the cars and just to enjoy the atmosphere. Citizens of this country definitely have a need for speed. 

NASCAR, which is a huge race in America, was created more than 70 years ago. Lately, the popularity of motorsport in the US has fallen considerably, which is primarily due to the holding of races on tracks in non-racing states (for example, Nevada or California) in an attempt to expand the audience. For example, the television ratings of the NASCAR series in 2017-2018 fell by about a third compared to the beginning of the 2000s.

Mario Andretti and Phil Hill are the only citizens of the USA who won an F1 championship. Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are the most famous names in NASCAR. 

Full list of greatest Motorsport racers in the history of the United States you can find on Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Wikipedia. Also, visit Motorsport Hall of Fame of America official website mshf.com for additional information

6. Boxing

Even though America is not the birthplace of boxing, it has always been on a special account in many other activities there. 19th-century American classics describe spectacular boxing fights that took place in various states of the US. Jack London devoted the story “Mexican” to boxing, and Mark Twain repeatedly mentions boxing in his works. It was the United States that became the place of the development of a sports career for Muhammad Ali, Charles Mayer, Roy Jones, Micky Ward, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson. 

Currently, the main reason for the considerable drop in boxing popularity among the American public is the lower spectacle of fights compared to MMA, as well as the lack of a champion (or at least a contender for the championship) in the most prestigious heavyweight category.

5. Soccer

Nowadays soccer is gaining popularity in the USA and is predicted to bypass hockey and even baseball in the next few years. According to statistics, almost 70% of the game fans come from Hispanic countries. 

Lately, Americans` interest in soccer has gone way past Major League Soccer which has seen the influx of some of Europe’s finest players.

David Beckham’s arrival in Los Angeles considerably upped the bar for American soccer. There is something special about 2019 women World Cup Final which was won by America. About 14.3 million were watching the CUP in the US.

4. Ice Hockey

Hockey is unbelievably famous in Canada, nevertheless, its popularity in the US is quite high as well. It`s worth mentioning that in 2019 over 5.33 million people watched the NHL Stanley Cup games in America. These figures are the second-highest in the past five years. 

This type of sport is quite expensive, this fact doesn`t let it become more common in the USA. Hockey is the most popular in such cities as Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, and Boston.

3.Basketball

The actions of the NBA has made a significant impact on its popularity. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has been known as a premier basketball league in the world. Nowadays the NBA consists of 29 teams from 28 cities of America and Canada, which are geographically divided into four divisions – Atlantic, Central, Midwest, and Pacific.

It must be mentioned that basketball has been called the fastest-growing sport in the world. The team includes gifted and talented players who amaze the spectators time and again.

2. Baseball

Nowadays, more than 11 million Americans play baseball therefore it has the 2nd place in the TOP–10 most popular sports in the USA. In many schools in America, baseball is included in the physical education course. In almost every city, there are local baseball teams where parents can send their children to study. This is the game which worth visiting. Tournaments are held periodically between such teams, which allows you to determine the leader in a particular state.

1. American Football

It incepted in New Jersey in 1869. This type of sport will be the most popular in the US forever. The annual Super Bowl is the most anticipated game in America. The 2019 NFL Draft set a record for the most NFL draft watched ever with about 6.1 million spectators. The Super Bowl attracts not only with players but also with show performances, in which famous pop stars like Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry are invited. According to the last survey, around 40% of citizens of the USA are fond of American football. 

American football NFL is in the top 5 most traumatic sports along with fights without rules (MMA). And although athletes from NFL clubs wear a solid protective uniform, this does not save them from injuries and injuries. Also often, in order to build up mass, players lead an unhealthy lifestyle.