Most Popular Sports in the World
What is the most popular sport in America?
That sounds like an easy question. It isn't.
Are we talking about the sport Americans watch most on television? The sport that sells the most tickets? The sport that most people actually play? Or the sport growing the fastest?
Those answers are not necessarily the same.
At Ultimate Rankings, we believe rankings should be debated, voted on and ultimately decided by the fans. But before deciding which sports are really the most popular in America, let's look at the different ways popularity can be measured.
1. Most Popular Sports to Watch on TV
Let's get the easy one out of the way.
Football is king in America. And it isn't particularly close.
Gallup found that 41% of American adults named football their favorite sport to watch, compared with only 10% for baseball and 9% for basketball. Football has held the top position in Gallup polling since 1972.
The television numbers are even more convincing. During the 2025 NFL regular season, games averaged approximately 18.7 million viewers, the second-highest average since tracking began in 1988. The Thanksgiving game between Kansas City and Dallas averaged more than 57 million viewers.
Basketball probably has the best argument for second place. During the 2025-26 season, approximately 170 million Americans watched at least some NBA coverage across the league's national television and streaming partners.
Baseball remains a major television sport, while college football deserves to be treated almost as a separate major league because of its enormous audience.
Our TV ranking: Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey and Soccer.
2. Most Popular Sports to Watch in Person
This category changes things dramatically.
If we simply count people walking through stadium gates, baseball is America's attendance champion.
Major League Baseball attracted 71.4 million fans during the 2025 regular season, surpassing 70 million for the third consecutive year. MLB describes itself as the most-attended sports league in the world.
But football has an argument here too.
College football alone drew approximately 49.7 million fans in 2024, despite playing far fewer games than baseball. Some major college programs routinely put more than 100,000 people into a stadium for a single game.
Basketball and hockey also fill arenas consistently. The NHL surpassed 23 million regular-season spectators in 2024-25, while NBA attendance has exceeded 22 million in recent seasons.
Soccer continues closing the gap. MLS drew 11.2 million fans in 2025, averaging nearly 22,000 per match.
So baseball wins total attendance, while football arguably creates the biggest individual live sporting events.
3. Most Popular Sports Americans Actually Play
Now the rankings change again.
Golf has an enormous recreational footprint. The National Golf Foundation estimates that 48.1 million Americans played golf in some form in 2025, including traditional golf and off-course forms such as driving ranges, simulators and golf entertainment facilities.
Tennis reached a record 27.3 million American players in 2025, up 54% since 2019.
Then there is pickleball. More on that in a minute.
Basketball remains one of America's easiest major team sports to play. You need a ball, a hoop and maybe a few friends. Baseball, soccer, volleyball and flag football also have enormous youth and recreational participation.
Soccer reached a record 16.8 million outdoor participants in 2025, with another 6.6 million playing indoor soccer.
Participation tells us something television ratings cannot: Americans don't necessarily play the same sports they watch.
4. Fastest-Growing Sports in America
There is absolutely no debate about No. 1.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, approximately 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, compared with only 4.2 million in 2020. It has now been America's fastest-growing sport for five consecutive years.
Soccer is also surging. Outdoor soccer participation increased 15.8% in just one year in 2025, even before the enormous exposure generated by the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Tennis continues an impressive resurgence, while flag football is becoming increasingly important, particularly among younger players and women. SFIA's latest participation data also show strong growth in basketball, flag football and baseball.
5. Most Popular Sports in America Overall
Taking television, attendance, participation, cultural importance and growth into account, our overall ranking would look something like this:
- Football
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Soccer
- Hockey
Football is an easy No. 1.
Basketball versus baseball at No. 2 is much harder. Baseball wins attendance and has more history. Basketball has tremendous television appeal, stronger participation among younger Americans and an enormous digital presence. We give basketball the narrow edge.
Soccer is the one to watch. It isn't replacing football anytime soon, but participation, MLS attendance, international soccer and the impact of the 2026 World Cup make its continued growth almost impossible to ignore.
Golf, tennis, pickleball, auto racing and combat sports also deserve mention depending on how popularity is measured.
But that's our ranking.
What's yours?
Visit UltimateRankings.com, cast your votes and help determine what fans really believe are the most popular—and greatest—sports in America.