Watching sports seems like the favourite pastime activity for most people in the world. It is very challenging to determine which sport is the most popular one, as there are various reports and research that differ in results.
However, there are certain sports that we can all agree are extremely popular with people. One factor to determine popularity is to look at the number of bets placed on a certain sport. Gambling operators offer various betting types and sports betting bonuses which are reviewed by CaptainGambling.com.
With all that said, let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular sports in the world now.
Football
We just must start with football, the number one sport for many in the world. Some estimates say that football has more than 3.5 billion viewers, which is simply astonishing. Also, more than 250 million individuals play football actively, so that speaks for itself.
This is a sport that transcends borders. You can find strong leagues and players in Europe, Asia, Africa, the USA, South America, etc.
Cricket
There are more than 2.5 billion people following cricket in the world, so it must be on our list. It is one of the oldest sports in the world, and it is especially popular in England, India, Pakistan, and Australia.
The rules are very simple – the bowler will take a run-up to bowl to the batsman, who must hit the ball. The first cricket match was played back in the 1600s.
Basketball
Basketball is a sport that is on the rise in recent times. It is not a sport that dates back centuries, but it has a rich history. It started in the late 19th century, and now it is a global sport with an audience from all around the world.
The NBA is arguably the most famous league, and it is a place where most world-class players come from. Sports betting sites also offer various basketball betting types, so everyone can benefit from them.
Hockey
Ice hockey and field hockey are the two versions of this sport. Ice Hockey is extremely popular in Canada, USA, and Finland, while field hockey is commonly played in India and Pakistan.
It is a sport that has around 2 billion followers, so you know it is a very popular one. It seems that hockey in general has little social media following compared to the other sports on this list, but it has a good dedicated streaming audience that will listen carefully.
Tennis
Tennis is played by around 60 million men and women in the world, so people love this individual sport. It has a significant followers base, with around 1 billion people watching it regularly, so it has widespread acceptance.
Tennis is a kind of sport that can be played between two teams of two players, or between individuals, so there is a bit of versatility here. There are various thoughts about which tennis tournament is the best, but all of them are watched by the vast majority of tennis lovers in the world.
Badminton
We finish this list with a rather surprising addition. Very few people in the world know that badminton is one of the most popular and watched sports in the world. There are around 950 million active badminton followers, so it is a sport that deserves respect
Additionally, there are more than 220 million people who regularly participate in this sport, so that itself speaks volumes. Many badminton followers come from Asia, and some of the greatest players in the sport originate from there.