There’s good news for sports-mad arrivals in the US – it’s a country full of great sporting action. From baseball to wrestling, there’s a huge range of sports to follow in America.
So whether you spend a day with the rowdiest fans heading for a major league football game or enjoy a few idle moments checking MLB odds on your phone, the US is a world of opportunity for sports followers.
Arriving in a new country, in a new city or region can be daunting – but tapping straight into the local sports scene can be a way to feel at home quickly. It’s also a great way to make new friends and contacts.
The best place to start is with America’s ‘Big Four’ – the top professional leagues for baseball, football, basketball and hockey.
- Major League Baseball (MLB)
At almost 150 years old, this is one of the world’s longest-standing professional leagues – and it is the home and heart of world baseball.
It currently comprises 30 teams (29 American, 1 Canadian) and after 162 games the season ends with the famous World Series.
You’ll find coverage of MLB games on TV, radio and online throughout the States. Nothing beats the experience of watching a live game though.
MLB boasts the world’s highest total season attendances of any sports league. In the 2018 season for example almost 70 million fans attended live MLB games.
- National Football League (NFL)
The NFL is the highest level of pro football in the world and is also the planet’s wealthiest professional sports league.
It famously culminates in one of the biggest sporting events on the planet: the Super Bowl. This is usually one of the most-watched TV events of the year.
The NFL is split into two leagues, the AFC and NFC and February’s Super Bowl is a play-off final between the champions of each league.
Newcomers will find that every NFL game is shown on one of five major TV networks and are also covered live by radio networks.
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
North America’s professional basketball league is the highest-rated in the world. The players in this 30-team league are the planet’s highest-paid athletes based on the average salaries.
Its games are widely covered on network and local channels. The season stretches from October to April and each teams plays 82 games in that time.
Live games are extremely popular events too but be warned: check the ticket prices first. Seats at NBA matches can range from just US $10 – right up to $70,000 per game.
- National Hockey League (NHL)
North America’s NHL is the world’s leading ice hockey league. It features 25 US teams and seven from Canada.
The NHL season culminates in the Stanley Cup, which is considered the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.
The league attracts many of the best players from around the world. At the latest count there were stars from 20 different countries playing in the NHL.
Media coverage of the National Hockey League is widespread, both in the US and Canada. The league even has its own channel, the NHL Network.
Live games are great spectator events – and recent research has shown the NHL has the most educated and affluent fans of all the major American sports leagues.
- Other American sports leagues
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the continent’s leading professional soccer league. Standards, crowds and coverage are increasing as the worldwide sport gains more fans in America.
Other surprisingly successful leagues include the Premier Hockey Federation for Women’s Ice Hockey, the National Lacrosse League and the National Women’s Soccer League.
There are also national leagues for minority sports like rugby, women’s basketball, indoor soccer, rugby league, softball and even cricket.
Overall, Americans are among the world’s most sports crazy. Sport has been identified as part of the US culture.
Sports that don’t involve teams and leagues are also very popular. Golf, boxing and tennis are considered major sports in North America.
Mixed martial arts is quickly attracting an enthusiastic younger audience too.
The national sport is usually considered baseball, although American football has overtaken it in terms of broadcast viewing figures.
The latest figures show that the market for professional sport in the US is worth around $70 billion a year. This is 50% larger than the equivalent market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa all combined.
For new immigrants to the USA it’s a great way of integrating in the American culture both national and local. Wherever you go there will be people watching and talking about sports events.
The coverage is so widespread that it’s easy to get quickly up-to-speed with the gossip, issue and excitement of any of the sports. And best of all – it’s great fun too!
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