Is MLS or NHL more popular?

In surveys of US sports fans, soccer is now more popular than ice hockey in the US. A study conducted by the research firm, Ampere Analysis, last month, reveals 49 per cent of US Sport fans claim to like watching soccer on TV, ahead of ice hockey on 37 per cent.

Is MLS more popular than MLB?

With an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third-highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the NFL and MLB, fourth-highest in North America after the NFL, MLB, and CFL, and is the seventh-highest attended professional soccer league worldwide.

Is MLS popular in USA?

It is the fourth most popular sport in the United States behind American football, baseball, and basketball. MLS is currently the largest first division professional football league in the world.

Will MLS ever be popular?

Since its inaugural season, the MLS has been steadily growing in popularity with American fans. However, when it comes to popularity the MLS is still lagging behind the most popular and established American sports. Many of the most promising athletes choose basketball, American football or baseball over soccer.

Is the MLS getting bigger?

MLS has regularly expanded since the 2005 season. The league plans to grow to 29 teams with the additions of Charlotte FC in 2022, and St. Louis City SC in 2023.

Is Soccer becoming more relevant than the NHL and NBA?

While soccer’s relevance has been questioned by critics for many years, recent figures indicate that Major League Soccer (MLS) now averages higher attendance numbers than both the NHL and NBA respectively.

Why did the MLS start in the first place?

The MLS kicked off in 1996 as a result of a FIFA mandate requiring that a professional soccer league be launched in the United States if the country wanted to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The primary objective was to expand interest in the sport in North America. It has taken almost two decades, but that long-term goal seems to have been achieved.

Is Soccer becoming popular in the United States?

While the MLS still trails the other major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) in annual revenues, soccer’s popularity in the United States is undoubtedly on the rise. Naysayers have long believed that the sport would never take hold in America, but the MLS’s recent success proves that soccer has indeed scored big in the U.S.

How much money do Major League Baseball and the NFL make?

The NFL has the largest TV contracts, and earns over $6 billion annually from its contracts with Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV for the 2014 through 2022 seasons. MLB earns $1.5 billion annually from its contracts signed in 2012 with ESPN, Fox, and Turner Sports (TBS) for the 2014 through 2021 seasons.