Survey - Most Popular Sports in the US - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

troutman · 02-14-2008, 11:50 AM

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/har...ex.asp?PID=866

Since Harris Interactive began asking this question in 1985, professional football has always been on top and its popularity is now six points higher (from 24% to 30%). Compared to 1985’s results, baseball has dropped eight percentage points (from 23% to 15%), and men’s tennis has dropped four percentage points (from 5% to 1%). Professional football isn’t the only sport to gain in popularity. Auto racing has also increased its popularity by five percentage points (from 5% to 10%) as has hockey (up 3 percentage points from 2% to 5%).

The NHL is actually ahead of the NBA.

JohnnyFlame · 02-14-2008, 12:06 PM

Well I guess if I lived in the States it would be in the Southeast. More South than East though. I'd be in the 25-39 age category and making over $50,000 a year.

burn_baby_burn · 02-14-2008, 12:12 PM

I'm surprised baseball is the least popular sport with seniors.

albertGQ · 02-14-2008, 12:30 PM

Seen some basketball highlights last night. TONS of empty seats

Wouldn't be surprised that the NBA kicks the NHL's butt in second and third favourite sport though

Table 5 · 02-14-2008, 01:45 PM

Of course basketballs popularity is split between pro and college in that chart...if you combined them, it does beat hockey.

Then again, i live in the biggest city in the country and i don't know any basketball fans whatsover, while i do know several hardcore hockey fans.

cgy2london · 02-21-2008, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I'm surprised baseball is the least popular sport with seniors.

i think that might have something to do with the fact MLB went on strike. My papa was a HUGE cubs fan, but told me he would never support the sport again after they went on strike. I dont know anything about the situation of the strike or even like baseball but thats just what he told me.

Johnny 99 · 02-21-2008, 06:09 AM

What a misleading poll. The NBA kicks the crap out of the NHL when it comes to television ratings, hence, it is much more popular.

transplant99 · 02-21-2008, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

What a misleading poll. The NBA kicks the crap out of the NHL when it comes to television ratings, hence, it is much more popular.

It is not misleading in any way whatsoever. Did you think that Harris wanted to just throw up some sort of poll to help the NHL or something?

The question is clear, and so is the answer.

Yes Bball will destroy hockey when it comes to television viewership, but that was not what was being asked.

I have maintained for years, and often as a lone voice, that hockey, though not producing TV numbers compared to other sports, DOES have a very decent fan base South of the 49th.

You are arguing something that is just silly. There are more people that consider hockey as their #1 sport compared to NBA. Thats what this survey says. However, the NBA picks up considerable more "casual" fans than hockey which is why you see the TV ratings you do. Hockey fans, though dwarfed by football and others, are still hardcore about their sport no matter where they reside.

troutman · 02-21-2008, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

What a misleading poll. The NBA kicks the crap out of the NHL when it comes to television ratings, hence, it is much more popular.

I'm not sure that is true anymore. NBA TV ratings are declining.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...ielsen_ratings

The National Basketball Association has achieved a rapid rise and fall in television ratings since the 1997-1998 NBA season, when ratings for the NBA Finals achieved a record high, to the 2002-2003 NBA season, when ratings for the same event hit an all-time record low.

Despite the fall in ratings, the NBA's regular season ratings average is only slightly lower than Major League Baseball's, and ratings for the finals continue to outdraw competing events that occur during the same month, golf's U.S. Open and the Stanley Cup Finals.

While the 2007 NBA Finals featured LeBron James making his first appearance, according to ESPN, the 2007 NBA Finals series was a television bust in the United States. [9] San Antonio's four-game sweep of Cleveland finished with a record-low 6.2 television rating and 11 share on ABC, Nielsen Media Research said on June 15, 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_for_The_NHL_on_NBC

On New Years day 2008, the NHL hosted an Outdoor game that featured the Buffalo Sabres vs the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson stadium in Buffalo, NY. The game received a 2.6 neilsen rating, the highest since the NHL debut on FOX over ten years ago.

The second week of coverage featured the Boston Bruins against the New York Rangers, the game got a 1.1 rating (12pm start)

Many NBA arenas are EMPTY too - the tickets may be sold, but no one is using them.

habernac · 02-21-2008, 10:12 AM

Mark Cuban himself said HNIC has more viewers than the NBA's flagship Thursday Night basketball telecasts.

Pagal4321 · 02-21-2008, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny 99

What a misleading poll. The NBA kicks the crap out of the NHL when it comes to television ratings, hence, it is much more popular.

Put NHL in the spotlight that the NBA is in now, and see what happens to the ratings.

NBA is featured on ABC, NBC, ESPN, TNT, TBS, The Score, TSN, Sportsnet...and that's just off the top of my head.

If the NHL had more national TV coverage in the US and I'm sure it would rival the NBA in viewership as well.

GirlySports · 02-21-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

If the NHL had more national TV coverage in the US and I'm sure it would rival the NBA in viewership as well.

Not sure about that. Hasn't the NHL been on US national tv in one form or another for the last 20 years? And it still gets no ratings nationwide. It took an outdoor game to get the ratings up to 2.0.