Source : Map
10/05/2022 16:00
In the United States where American football, basketball and baseball are enthroned in the hearts of Americans, football, the most popular sport in the world, is beginning to gain ground and expand its fan base.
Known as soccer in the United States, the round ball was struggling to make its way to the land of Uncle Sam, but this reality is now giving way to change, indicates the specialized site Front Office Sport.
Quoting a new study carried out by Ampere Analysis, the media reports that football has just reached the podium of the four most popular sports in America by dethroning ice hockey, noting that 49% of sports fans like football. football against 37% for ice hockey.
Within a few years, soccer could win against baseball which occupies the third position with 57%, according to the study.
According to another study by Sport and Fitness Association, 17.8 million Americans played soccer in 2020, compared to 2.3 million for ice hockey.
The same trend was noted among children aged between 13 and 17, indicates the same source, specifying that 1.2 children played football on a regular basis in 2020 compared to 243,000 for ice hockey.
“Today, soccer is the fourth most popular sport in the United States. It is on a meteoric rise,” said sports media strategist Pierre Maes, as quoted by Front Office Sport.
Sign of this craze for football, the new contract that the American media group “Comcast” has just signed to obtain the rights to broadcast Premier League matches in the United States. The value of this contract has doubled compared to the previous year, notes the US media, specifying that the British league will collect 2.7 billion dollars over six years, against 1.1 billion dollars collected under the previous contract.
For the Front Office Sport, this popularity will continue to grow thanks to the next World Cup in Qatar and especially the one that will be organized jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
The American football selection had validated its ticket for the football high mass scheduled for Qatar next November. It will play in Group B alongside England, Iran and the winner of the European play-off between Wales and Ukraine or Scotland.
