Despite being the most popular sport in the world, soccer has in the past had a tough time of penetrating a larger US audience as other sports like Football, Basketball, and Baseball remain at the top.
But in recent years that gap has been closing, and there has been an explosion of popularity for soccer across the country and a growth for soccer betting and wagering on sites just like these too – but what has been the cause of growth in US soccer popularity, and can it maintain this big shift?
Broadcasts
One of the leading reasons why there has been a change is certainly within accessibility. For some time there had been a battle amongst American broadcasters for who would secure the rights to some of the biggest football leagues in the world.
Most notably, the English premier league, with NBC securing a deal at $2 billion showing just how much support had grown for soccer. This shows the increasing interests for those hoping to view the games overseas. Further increases in broadcasting options will only provide further opportunities for a wider audience to watch soccer games around the world.
For many of the same reasons of accessibility, soccer has also increased in popularity offline too.
There is no special equipment needed to play, just the purchase of a ball. This has been a reason why soccer has remained as the most popular sport in the world. The barrier to entry is very low.
Statistics also reflect this as much of the US have at least had the opportunity to try football. Their other sports like hockey have fallen behind as they require a much larger investment and different logistics in order to play.
World Cup 2026
That’s also not to speak of larger events playing an impact too. The United States, Canada, and Mexico secured the rights to host the 2026 World Cup. This will play a vital role in the coming years to grow soccer in the region too.
As hype builds up around the event it’ll generate interest in existing leagues and games. Once the world cup passes, those that have been exposed to games during the world cup will find increasing interest in both national and international games alike too.
There’s certainly a huge opportunity for soccer to continue finding success across the US. The coming years will be hugely impactful in the continued success for the sport. Whilst it’s unlikely to ever overtake some of the more established names mentioned above, it may still grow for some time yet.