Is MMA one of the most popular sports in USA?

[dissectingaorticaneurysm]

What about the TV market? How do they grab any of that?

yeah, they dominate the local spots. The thing about baseball games is that they're rarely nationally televised- it's aired through local stations. When a national network airs a game, they usually choose the team based on regional popularity. Here's a map of baseball fandom (darker color denotes more loyalty).

As you can see, there is a lot of dead space where baseball has no reach.

 

[Kvothe_the_kingkiller]

That's a good image. Cheers.

 

[SandisLL]

WoW, 2 companies today offered me to do bettings about NHL and NBA and some boxing bettings about USA bouts, almost 0 MMA ….
This is in non english part of EU.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

In USA:

1. NFL
2. MLB
3. NBA
4. NHL
5. Boxing (championship level)
6. NASCAR
7. MMA

This is leaving out college sports. If including them, college football would be around 3-4, and college basketball around 4-5.

Are you sure boxing, NASCAR and MMA are above tennis and golf? Golf revenues in the United States just from courses and clubs is apparently $20 billion a year -- that's a lot of people interested in golf. And tennis is big enough that all the major networks carry it.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

True for guys, but not for market.
Translations rights fees paid by TVs and other media, all this advertisements market with huge ammount of finances.
Sports betting also is large international business, also helps to advertise and their portals serves as place for another advertisements.
Tickets, journalists, all these teams with their support teams. Sportsmans also not rarely makes income from advertising industry, promotes sports brands etc. All these places in portals, newspapers also makes income from sport events.
NBA and NHL are internationally known more than 25 years and bettings on their games were offered in europe at least l 25 years ago. When majority of betting services clients didn't even knew about MMA existence.

Interesting points about market and betting, but I'd still say participation is the biggest indicator of how popular a sport is. You have to be more interested in a sport to actually do it than to just sit down and watch it.

 

[SandisLL]

but I'd still say participation is the biggest indicator of how popular a sport is. You have to be more interested in a sport to actually do it than to just sit down and watch it.

It is true and good criteria, but for many businesses only $$$$$$$$ matters and if they can earn regardless do you sport or no, they earn and don't care with what method.
These companies, who pays for rights to translate NBA, NHL games, outside U.S , Canada, also popularise these events to get auditory.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

It is true and good criteria, but for many businesses only $$$$$$$$ matters and if they can earn regardless do you sport or no, they earn and don't care with what method.
These companies, who pays for rights to translate NBA, NHL games, outside U.S , Canada, also popularise these events to get auditory.

True. Though for some sports there's major money in selling gear (sport shoes for instance, or golf equipment, and I suspect the big car companies subsidize auto-racing not for the money the racing makes in itself, but as a way of advertising the much larger consumer auto-market).

I've no numbers on this, but I suspect the market for selling gear to consumers is ultimately bigger money than the market for selling them sports entertainment.

 

[Kyojiro Kagenuma]

You seriously think the average person knows who hagler hearns or bowe is?

Tyson yes, the others no. Mike Tyson has ascended far beyond just boxing.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Im an old die hard from the Pride-UFC 1 days. Heck i was grapplin bjj before UFC and have allways tried to lure my boxing fan buddies over but it just never really sticks. Most people my age still talk about Liddell or the Gracies, BJ Penn even Sean Sherk....I love boxing too but am always a little depressed i cant win people over to the glory of MMA.

mma is trash it s not glorious

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

In USA MMA is #1! Do never doubt it! We even have multiple Gods for it.
The Just bleed God!

The Baldfather!

The One Above All!

Here in America if you say to this woman...

"I am an MMA athlete" SHE BECOMES YOURS FOR LIFE! Just at those words! So come to America! Do MMA! Become a GOD!

disproportionate forehead to jaw ratio, would not bang

 

[SandisLL]

I suspect the big car companies subsidize auto-racing not for the money the racing makes in itself, but as a way of advertising the much larger consumer auto-market).

I think, you are 100% correct.

 

[Riatyn]

It's funny reading all the under 18s giving their opinions like they have any type of concept or expertise on this subject what so ever. MMA is niche sport that appears to have already had it's peak. I don't even know if it's fringe top 20 realistically speaking.

 

[GOAT]

 

[Takamine86]

I wouldn't even be mad.

 

[dissectingaorticaneurysm]

she's a bit of a celebrity herself.