Are NBA fans better than NFL, MLB and NHL?

[Westbrook0]

What do you think?

[DMV2]

We're younger than than MLB fans, smaller(popularity-wise) than NFL fans and darker than NHL fans.

[(e)]

I'm a pretty big fan of both the NBA and NFL, so...

[Westbrook0]

We're younger than than MLB fans, smaller(popularity-wise) than NFL fans and darker than NHL fans.

I would agree with this statement. Hockey is more niche than NBA.

NBA fans are probably the youngest demographic of the four major sports.

And NBA fans are probably more passionate about their sport than baseball fans.

I think the biggest difference is, basketball is the only team sport you can really practice on your own. Any kid can pick up a basketball and shoot, dribble and pass at the wall. That means it's not hard to gain more fans, especially young fans who get out there and play.

[Heavincent]

NFL fans are the best.

[t-rex]

I'm a pretty big fan of both the NBA and NFL, so...

MLB fan base- Very old. (Only golf trends older believe it or not.) Very white. Also surprisingly very regionalized. Predominately northeast and few large cities (Detroit, St. Louis etc.). I can't stress age enough. Even in baseball centered areas such as Boston and New York, once you break below the 40 year old barrier, MLB declines rapidly. Terrible demographics for long term success. Not many people are aware that the NBA outdraws MLB in TV audience for regular and post season play. Baseball is actually over covered by the national sports media based on its popularity.


NHL fan base-Hockey is doing very well by hockey standards in the TV ratings this year. Over the course of my lifetime, hockey is the biggest fraud in the sports world. It has never been among the 4 most popular sports in this country. It is even more regionalized than baseball with concentration centers in the old northeast and midwest cities. Hockey is NOT the #1 sport in any major metropolitan area or region of the country. Demographic profile is old and white.

NFL fan base-Dominant #1. No other sport in this country comes close. The NFL is so large, that if you took away men, there are enough women who follow the sport to still keep it in the top slot. The NFL is #1 in demograpahics across the board, #1 in revenue and #1 in TV ratings. Even more amazing, the more successful a person is (based on education and income) the more likely they are to be fans of NFL football compared to other sports. The NFL is the only sport in the country that scores well in all regions of the country. It does well with every demographic group and has made fantastic inroads with women. The NFL is so dominant, that even the NFL Pro Bowl (which is a terrible event), can draw a larger TV audience than the World Series or NBA Finals game. Nothing is close to Roger Goodell's league. Its unstoppable.


NBA fan base-The youngest demographic audience among the major sports. Also by far the most diverse. TV ratings have really increased in recent years. The NBA now outdraws MLB, and with its younger demographics it is an edge likely to continue and even grow. Audience is absurdly diverse. The NBA is very strong in the west and major metropolitan areas. The NBA is the #1 sport in Phoenix, Portland and Los Angeles as examples. It also does well in the northeast. It does not fair well in the South. But don't stereotype. The NBA is very popular in the Oklahoma market.



Here's how it works.

Say you are at your family reunion. Grandpa is falling asleep to the baseball game. The teenage son loves the NBA. Dad loves the NFL. And when the NFL is on, his sons, wife, daughters and the whole family will watch. The NHL is watched only there is nothing else on. That's what the research and numbers tell us.

[tomtucker]

i will never understand why the NFL and football is so popular.........the game is 10 seconds of play, then a long pause...repeat.......can

[Heavincent]

[QUOTE=tomtucker]i will never understand why the NFL and football is so popular.........the game is 10 seconds of play, then a long pause...repeat.......can

[Droid101]

You make good points but you keep saying "dominate" when you mean "dominant" which makes my eyes bleed.

I don't get NFL popularity at all. It's almost as boring as baseball.

[tmacattack33]

[QUOTE=tomtucker]i will never understand why the NFL and football is so popular.........the game is 10 seconds of play, then a long pause...repeat.......can

[colorz]

I don't get NFL popularity at all. It's almost as boring as baseball.

NFL isn't boring, but I agree. I never understood why it was so much more popular than all the other sports.

[jbryan1984]

[QUOTE=tomtucker]i will never understand why the NFL and football is so popular.........the game is 10 seconds of play, then a long pause...repeat.......can

[Heavincent]

I agree, never got into football. Its boring, too much standing around and is the only sport where basically anyone can play (so many guys out of shape). If you can throw far, run fast or be big muscle wise or fat, you can play football.

Ignorance.

[Droid101]

Ignorance.

Sorry, but it makes no sense that it's popular.

Fans are super far away from the action at live games.

All the players have their faces covered.

You don't get to see strange/interesting situations, like a Quarterback defending a Wide Receiver (unlike the NBA where switches can happen all the time).

Your favorite players don't play the majority of the game because of the offense/defense team difference.

Every play lasts about 2 seconds with another 20 seconds of standing around.

Seriously, I don't get it.

[DMV2]

[QUOTE=tomtucker]i will never understand why the NFL and football is so popular.........the game is 10 seconds of play, then a long pause...repeat.......can