Sports in the United States facts for kids
Sports are a very important part of the culture in the United States. For a long time, baseball was known as the national sport. However, in recent years, American football has become the most watched sport on TV.
Basketball has also become very popular since the 1980s. Ice hockey and soccer also gained popularity around the year 2000. These five sports are often called the "Big Five" in American sports.
In the early 1900s, boxing and college football were also very popular, right after baseball. Other sports like golf, tennis, and college basketball have also been popular for a long time. More recently, Mixed martial arts (MMA) has become very popular, breaking records for how many people watch and attend its events.
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Top Professional Sports Leagues
The biggest professional sports leagues in the United States make a lot of money. These include the National Football League (NFL) for football, Major League Baseball (MLB) for baseball, the National Basketball Association (NBA) for basketball, the National Hockey League (NHL) for ice hockey, and Major League Soccer (MLS) for soccer.
The NFL is the most profitable sports league in the world. It makes about $16 billion in revenue each year. The entire market for professional sports in the U.S. is about $69 billion. This is much larger than the sports market in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa combined.
All these leagues are very popular in the U.S. Most of them are also considered the best leagues in their sports worldwide. The NFL has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league. About 67,254 fans attend each game. MLS has the second-highest average attendance in the U.S., with about 21,789 fans per game. MLB follows with an average of 18,900 fans. Most of these leagues also have teams in Canada.
How Professional Leagues Work
Professional teams in the U.S. are like "franchises" within a league. This means a team can move to a different city. This happens if the team's owners think it will help them financially. However, the league usually has to approve these moves.
All major sports leagues have a regular season schedule. After the regular season, they have a playoff tournament. This tournament decides the champion. Besides the main leagues, many sports also have professional minor leagues. These teams play in smaller cities across the country.
Unlike most sports leagues in Europe, U.S. sports leagues do not use "promotion and relegation." This means teams don't move up or down to different leagues based on how well they play.
Sports and Education
Sports are very connected to education in the United States. Most high schools and universities have organized sports teams. This is a special part of American sports culture.
College sports competitions are very important. College basketball and college football are almost as popular as professional sports in some parts of the country. The main organization for college sports is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Colleges earn billions of dollars from TV deals, sponsorships, and ticket sales. In 2019, NCAA athletic departments made $18.9 billion in total.
United States in International Sports
The United States is one of the most successful nations in sports worldwide. This is based on its performance in events like the Olympic Games and World Championships. The U.S. has been very successful in baseball, basketball, athletics (track and field), swimming, lacrosse, beach volleyball, figure skating, tennis, golf, boxing, diving, shooting, rowing, and snowboarding.
It is also one of the top five most successful nations in ice hockey, wrestling, gymnastics, volleyball, speed skating, alpine skiing, bobsleigh, equestrian sports, sailing, cycling, weightlifting, and archery. The United States has finished first in the Summer Olympic medal count 18 times out of 29 Summer Olympics. Unlike most other countries, the U.S. government does not provide money for sports or for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
See also
In Spanish: Deporte en los Estados Unidos para niños
