A 1993 spectator sport popularity study that was called the largest of its kind ranked what sport as the 2nd most popular in the US, just behind NFL?
"by revenues from selling the TV rights to those events. In 1984, more than 24 million people in Great Britain watched ice dance pair Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean earn unanimous 6.0s for presentation, the only perfect score in Olympic skating history, which was ranked the 8th greatest sporting moment in a UK poll. In the 1993 National Sports Study II, considered by the Associated Press as the largest study of spectator sport popularity in America, ladies' figure skating was the second most popular spectator sport in America, just behind NFL football out of over 100 sports surveyed. The 1993"
"football since they list from thirty to over 100 sports that each respondent must rate. According to the AP, the SMG polls from 1988 to 2004 show NFL football to be the most popular spectator sport in America. The AP stated that ""In the most detailed survey ever of America's sports tastes"" researching ""114 spectator sports they might attend, follow on television or radio or read about in newspapers or magazines, the NFL topped all sports with 39 percent of Americans saying they loved it or considered it one of their favorites."" In a 2003 study conducted by SMG and"
"relocations was not directly related to finances, as the league was lucrative and stable by this point; instead, the promise of better stadiums drove those relocations. While baseball is known as ""America's national pastime,"" football is the most popular spectator sport in the United States. According to the Harris Poll, professional football moved ahead of baseball as the fans' favorite in 1965, during the emergence of the NFL's challenger, the American Football League, as a major professional football league. Football has remained America's favorite sport ever since. In a Harris Poll conducted in 2008, the NFL was the favorite sport"
"(52 million) and camping (47 million). The most popular competitive sport (and fifth most popular recreational sport) is bowling (43 million). Other most popular sports are fishing (35 million), bicycling (37 million), weightlifting (33 million), aerobics (30 million), and hiking (28 million). According to a January 2018 Poll by Gallup, 37% of Americans consider American football their favorite spectator sport, while 11% prefer basketball, 9% baseball, and 7% soccer. There is some variation by viewer demographics. Men, show a stronger preference for football than women, conservatives a stronger preference than liberals, and those over 35 a stronger preference than those"
"of as many people (30%) as the combined total of the next three professional sports – baseball (15%), auto racing (10%), and hockey (2%). Additionally, football's American television viewership ratings now surpass those of other sports, although football season comprises far fewer games than the seasons of other sports. However, the Harris Poll only allows one unaided selection of a ""favorite sport."" Other studies and polls such as the ESPN Sports Poll and the studies released by the Associated Press (AP) and conducted by Sports Marketing Group (SMG) from 1988 to 2004, show far higher levels of popularity for NFL"
"annually since January 1944. American football is by several measures the most popular spectator sport; the National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world, and the Super Bowl is watched by millions globally. Baseball has been regarded as the U.S. national sport since the late 19th century, with Major League Baseball (MLB) being the top league. Basketball and ice hockey are the country's next two leading professional team sports, with the top leagues being the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). These four major sports, when played professionally,"
"popularity study of its kind."" In 1993, Adweek again stated ""The head of one international ad agency called it the first social and cultural census of America."" The AP called SMG's 1993 survey ""the most detailed survey ever of America's sports tastes"" researching ""114 spectator sports they might attend, follow on television or radio or read about in newspapers or magazines."" Most notable in Lavalle's career was the January 16, 1994 edition of ""US News & World Report"" that quoted Lavalle as saying ""more people will view the Winter Olympics than any event in the history of sports. It's the"
"""Baseball is still called the national pastime, but football is by far the more popular sport in American society"", according to ESPN.com's Sean McAdam. In a 2014 poll conducted by Harris Interactive, professional football ranked as the most popular sport, and college football ranked third behind only professional football and baseball; 46% of participants ranked some form of the game as their favorite sport. Professional football has ranked as the most popular sport in the poll since 1985, when it surpassed baseball for the first time. Professional football is most popular among those who live in the eastern United States"
"Comparisons between the National Football League and NCAA football The National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are respectively the most popular professional and amateur football organizations in the United States. The National Football League was founded in 1920 and has since become the largest and most popular sport in the United States. The NFL has the highest average attendance of any sporting league in the world, with an average attendance of 66,960 persons per game during the 2011 NFL season. The NFL championship game, the Super Bowl, is among the biggest events in club sports"
"then all other states have followed suit. A ""Just Say No to Drugs"" movement replaced the more libertine ethos of the 1960s. Since the late nineteenth century, baseball is regarded as the national sport; football, basketball, and ice hockey are the country's three other leading professional team sports. College football and basketball also attract large audiences. Football is now by several measures the most popular spectator sport in the United States. Soccer, though not a leading professional sport in the country, is played widely at the youth and amateur levels. Boxing and horse racing were once the most watched individual"
"the non-playing captains for the two competing squads. Some NFL-related events that made headlines throughout 2013 include: A nationwide poll conducted by Harris Interactive in December 2013 concluded that pro football is the favorite sport of Americans. Of the respondents asked the question, ""If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"", 35% chose pro football. That is up by one percentage point over the results of the previous year. Football has taken the top spot in the annual poll each year since it was first conducted in 1985. Baseball finished second, with"
"Football League was founded in 1920 and has since become the largest and most popular sport in the United States. The NFL has the highest average attendance of any sporting league in the world, with an average attendance of 66,960 during the 2011 NFL Season. The NFL championship game is called the Super Bowl, and is among the biggest events in club sports worldwide. It is played between the champions of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC), and its winner is awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy. College football is the third-most popular sport in the"
"Grumman, thanks to a new sponsorship deal with the major defense contractor. Comparisons between the National Football League and NCAA football The National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are respectively the most popular professional and amateur football organizations in the United States. The National Football League was founded in 1920 and has since become the largest and most popular sport in the United States. The NFL has the highest average attendance of any sporting league in the world, with an average attendance of 66,960 persons per game during the 2011 NFL season. The NFL championship"
"of the most popular televised events annually in the United States, it has become a major source of advertising revenue for the television networks that have carried it and it serves as a means for advertisers to debut elaborate and expensive commercials for their products. The NFL has grown to become the most popular spectator sports league in the United States. One of the things that have marked the modern NFL as different from other major professional sports leagues is the apparent parity between its 32 teams. While from time to time, dominant teams have arisen, the league has been"
"United States in cities that had no current NFL team between 1993 and 1995, though the expansion teams all either folded or relocated to Canadian cities. The CFL is the second most popular league in Canada, after the NHL. It has the third highest average attendance of the northern North American leagues, behind the NFL and MLB; in 2010 the average attendance was 26,781, with a total attendance of 1,928,225 Major professional sports leagues are distinguished from other sports leagues in terms of business and economic factors, popularity of the league, and quality of play. The following table compares the"
"is played by over 250 million players in over 200 nations, and has the highest television audience in sport, making it the most popular in the world, American football, with 1.1 million high school football players and nearly 70,000 college football players, is the most popular sport in the United States, with the annual Super Bowl game accounting for nine of the top ten of the most watched broadcasts in U.S. television history. Australian rules football has the highest spectator attendance of all sports in Australia. Similarly, Gaelic football is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match"
"League Baseball (MLB) being the top league, while American football is now by several measures the most popular spectator sport, with the National Football League (NFL) having the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world and a Super Bowl watched by millions globally. Basketball and ice hockey are the country's next two leading professional team sports, with the top leagues being the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). These four major sports, when played professionally, each occupy a season at different, but overlapping, times of the year. College football and basketball attract large"
"the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. It is the fourth most popular sport in the United States behind American football, baseball and basketball, and is the second fastest growing sport in America, surpassed only by lacrosse. The highest-level men's professional soccer league in the U.S. is Major League Soccer. MLS began play in 1996 with 10 teams and has grown to 23 teams (20 in the United States and 3 in Canada), with further expansion planned. The MLS season runs from March to December, with the regular-season winner awarded the Supporters'"
"Sports in the United States Sports in the United States are an important part of American culture. American football is the most popular sport in the United States followed by basketball, baseball, and soccer. Tennis, golf, hockey, wrestling, auto racing, arena football, field lacrosse, box lacrosse and volleyball are also popular sports in the country. Based on revenue, the four major professional sports leagues in the United States are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL). The market for professional sports in the United States is roughly"
"the United States, it has become a major source of advertising revenue for the television networks that have carried it and it serves as a means for advertisers to debut elaborate and expensive commercials for their products. The NFL has grown to become the most popular spectator sports league in the United States. One of the things that have marked the modern NFL as different from other major professional sports leagues is the apparent parity between its 32 teams. While from time to time, dominant teams have arisen, the league has been cited as one of the few where every"
"have a national TV contract that pays rights fees. Sports in the United States Sports in the United States are an important part of American culture. American football is the most popular sport in the United States followed by basketball, baseball, and soccer. Tennis, golf, hockey, wrestling, auto racing, arena football, field lacrosse, box lacrosse and volleyball are also popular sports in the country. Based on revenue, the four major professional sports leagues in the United States are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL). The market"
"an ensuing kickoff. The break will only occur after the field goal or conversion. The NFL, along with boxing and professional wrestling (before the latter publicly became known as a staged sport), was a pioneer of sports broadcasting during a time when baseball and college football were more popular than professional football. Due to the NFL understanding television at an earlier time, they were able to surpass Major League Baseball in the 1960s as the most popular sport in the United States. ""NBC Sunday Night Football"" became the only second regular live prime time television program in U.S. history to"
"a significant following – according to a 2013 poll, 21% of respondents said they followed the NFL ""very closely"" or ""fairly closely"", making it the third-most followed league behind the National Hockey League (NHL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). American football also has a long history in Mexico, which was introduced to the sport in 1896. American football was the second-most popular sport in Mexico in the 1950s, with the game being particularly popular in colleges. The ""Los Angeles Times"" notes that the NFL claims over 16 million fans in Mexico, which places the country third behind the US and"
"audiences. In soccer, the country hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the men's national soccer team qualified to seven World Cups and the women's team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup three times; Major League Soccer is the sport's highest league in the United States. Boxing and horse racing were once the most watched individual sports, but they have been eclipsed by golf and auto racing, particularly NASCAR. History of sports in the United States The history of sports in the United States shows that most sports evolved out of European practices. However, basketball, volleyball, skateboarding, and snowboarding are"
"poll showed soccer to be the fifth favorite team sport, with 2% of Americans ranking soccer as their favorite (compared to 5% for hockey). A 2011 ESPN sports poll ranked soccer as the second most popular sport in the country for 12- to 24-year-olds. In 2013, Lionel Messi became the first soccer player ever to rank among the Top 10 most popular athletes in the U.S. in an ESPN poll, although he was not listed in the Top 10 in a Harris poll. A 2017 poll by Gallup found that soccer is nearly as popular as baseball with 7% of"
"each occupy a season at different but overlapping, times of the year. College football and basketball attract large audiences. In soccer, the country hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the men's national soccer team qualified for ten World Cups and the women's team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup three times; Major League Soccer is the sport's highest league in the United States (featuring 19 American and 3 Canadian teams). The market for professional sports in the United States is roughly $69 billion, roughly 50% larger than that of all of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa combined. Eight"
"also obstacles to a blue-collar audience. A century later, the situation was very different. With the rise in popularity of other team sports with much higher average ticket prices—football, basketball, and hockey—professional baseball had become among the most blue-collar-oriented of leading American spectator sports. Overall, baseball has a large following in the United States; a 2006 poll found that nearly half of Americans are fans. In the late 1900s and early 2000s, baseball's position compared to football in the United States moved in contradictory directions. In 2008, MLB set a revenue record of $6.5 billion, matching the NFL's revenue for"
"chance it will survive. Absolutely no chance whatsoever."" Major League Soccer has now operated continuously since 1996 and has expanded to 19 teams in the United States and Canada; in 2011 it had a higher average attendance than either the NBA or the NHL. In 2012, a Luker/ESPN survey showed that soccer was the second most popular sport among Americans aged 12–24, behind only NFL football; seven percent of this age bracket described themselves as ""avid"" MLS fans. In 1994, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a non-profit industry publication, released the results of the first and largest study of charitable and"
"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/12/24/espn-poll-lebron-james-more-popular-than-kobe-bryant-steph-curry/ http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19074938/where-all-mlb-superstars-gone https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2014/07/13/ea-sports-fifa-video-game-helps-fuel-interest-in-the-world-cup/#6903c4f1724d The ESPN Sports Poll The ESPN Sports Poll ""It’s clear that the ESPN Sports Poll is the industry standard for comprehensive and accurate gauging of sports fans’ temperatures at any given time."" http://www.espnfrontrow.com/2012/01/a-look-behind-the-espn-sports-poll/ Launched in 1994, the ESPN (Luker on Trends) Sports Poll is the first and longest running independent national syndicated research on American fan interests and activities. The Poll was founded by Dr. Richard Luker who approached Chilton Research and ESPN with the business potential behind pioneering research where none previously existed http://www.espnfrontrow.com/2012/01/a-look-behind-the-espn-sports-poll/. Today it is still the largest, and the only national syndicated research"
"sports industry in America. Lavalle's last known published SMG study came in 2003 when results of the ""most hated"" sports in America were released via Wilstein and the Associated Press. Dogfighting was America's most hated sport with 81% of Americans over 18 years of age saying they hated or disliked a lot the sport of dogfighting. Rounding out the top 10 of most hated sports in America were No. 2 Pro Wrestling; No. 3 Bullfighting; No. 4 Pro Boxing; No. 5 PGA Tour Golf; No. 6 PGA Sr. Tour Golf; No. 7. LPGA Golf (29.2%); No. 8 NASCAR (27.9%); No."
"the first televised game in 1939. Another important event was the American football game at the 1932 Summer Olympics, which combined with a similar demonstration game at 1933 World's Fair, led to the first College All-Star Game in 1934, which in turn was an important factor in the growth of professional football in the United States. American football's explosion in popularity during the second half of the 20th century can be traced to the 1958 NFL Championship Game, a contest that has been dubbed the ""Greatest Game Ever Played"". A rival league to the NFL, the American Football League (AFL),"
"dream team of figure skating."" While many sportswriters and columnists scoffed at Lavalle's prediction, Adweek reported ""Dallas researcher and sports marketing specialist Nye Lavalle has said it ever since the results of his first sports popularity survey came out in 1989: figure skating rivals NFL football in popularity in this country and will one day become recognized by TV programmers and advertisers. That day has come with the controversy and drama surrounding figure skating at the '94 Winter Olympics."" SMG's studies, often reported on by award-winning Associated Press columnist Steve Wilstein, received widespread media attention around the world for not"
"the first time in decades. A new MLB revenue record of more than $10 billion was set in 2017. On the other hand, the percentage of American sports fans polled who named baseball as their favorite sport was 9%, compared to pro football at 37%. In 1985, the respective figures were pro football 24%, baseball 23%. Because there are so many more major league games played, there is no comparison in overall attendance. In 2008, total attendance at major league games was the second-highest in history: 78.6 million, 0.7% off the record set the previous year. The following year, amid"