If you have been following the NFL predictions lately, you will have got a sense of just how sports-obsessed Americans are. But, just as much as they like betting on sports, Americans love consuming, playing, and obsessing over sports.
Of the many different sports played across America on a daily basis, however, two sports in particular draw the lion’s share of the nation’s attention⎯basketball and football.
Both the NBA and the NFL draw in millions of viewers each week⎯Americans across the country tune in to watch the latest games. This has helped to create a sporting industry in the US that is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars each year.
Professional sports contribute a significant amount to both the American and global economy, with American sports leagues amongst the highest revenue-generating sports leagues in the world.
However, when it comes to basketball versus football, which is the most valuable to American society?
The Economics of Basketball vs Football
Although the economic value of basketball and football are not the only factors determining which exerts the biggest influence on American society, the vast sum of money that both sports generate is definitely worth considering!
According to figures recorded in 2021, the 32 teams in the National Football League generated a staggering $17.19 billion. This consists of various different revenue streams, which include sponsorships, partnerships, ticket sales, concessions, and merchandising. Even more remarkably, this $17.19 billion figure is up from $4 billion in 2001!
Of the 32 professional teams contributing to this figure, the Dallas Cowboys were the most valuable team. In 2021 alone, the Cowboys generated around $1.09 billion dollars in revenue, which is significantly more than the second-highest grossing team⎯the New England Patriots, who generated $651 million!
In terms of how this compares with the National Basketball Association—or the NBA—the NFL teams appear to be much more valuable.
NBA teams generated a whopping $6.41 billion in 2021, which is significantly less than the NFL did. As with the NFL, this consisted of a number of different revenue streams, including tickets, merchandising, concessions, sponsorships, and broadcasting rights. This figure looked at the revenue contributions of 30 NBA teams across North America.
Importantly, this $6.41 billion figure was slightly behind the figure for the 2019/2020 season, which saw NBA teams generate a total of $7.92 billion. Similarly, the highest-grossing NBA team was substantially behind their more lucrative NFL rivals. The LA Lakers generated $316 million in 2020/2021, which is far less than the amount generated by the Dallas Cowboys.
The Viewing Figures
The amount of money the NBA and NFL can generate only tells one side of the story⎯there are ultimately more important figures that we should consider.
Of these, viewing figures are an important metric by which we can measure the respective popularity of basketball and football. Unfortunately for the NBA, however, when it comes to viewing figures, the NFL once again dominates!
The NFL routinely dominates the viewership rankings, with football games drawing in an average of 17.1 million viewers across TV and digital media platforms during the regular season. Additionally, NFL games regularly rank as amongst the most popular broadcasts on TV at any one time.
The Super Bowl, which is the NFL’s season finale game, was the biggest draw and saw 99.18 million viewers tune-in in the US alone. This far outsizes the NBA finals in 2022, which were watched by an average 12.4 million viewers in the US.
It should also be noted that the viewing figures for the US have been falling for some time, with the NBA finals having consistently shed viewers for the last couple of years.
Basketball vs Football: What Do Americans Prefer?
With all this in mind, the question remains to be answered: Do Americans prefer football or basketball?
Based on the figures above, it is clear that not only does the NFL generate significantly more revenue and contribute a larger sum to the US economy, but considerably more Americans watch NFL games. This is despite the fact that basketball has a longer season, with more games taking place during it.
Despite this, football still remains the most popular sport in the US. And each week, millions of Americans across the country sit down to watch a game. This is in addition to the millions of Americans across the country who have played football at either high school or college level.
With that said, although both sports are incredibly popular, football captures the lion’s share of the nation’s attention!
