I’ve been predicting that this day would come for a while now, and finally, it has. Its official soccer has overtaken hockey to become the fourth most popular sport in the US. The top four are now American football, basketball, baseball, and soccer.
There are a number of reasons such as:
Participation in soccer has grown in the states and young fans are now growing up playing the sport. Last year, 17.8m Americans played soccer indoors or outdoors, according to the US Sports and Industry Fitness Association, compared to the 2.3m, who played ice hockey.
Since Tim Howard became a folk hero in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (the US made it to the round of 16 where Howard set a record for saves in a single World Cup game with 15 - the US lost to Belgium 2-1) the US national team has become more popular.
Meanwhile, the US Women’s national team has inspired an entire generation of young players; both girls and boys.
A number of talented American players have played in some of Europe’s top leagues and proven that they can play at the highest level. This list includes former players such as Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey and Brad Friedel. Currently Christian Pulisic from none other than Hershey, Pennsylvania is a regular in Chelsea’s lineup.
Victor Matheson, a professor of sports economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, put it best. “Christian Pulisic is a huge influence. Finally, to have an American on a 'real team' is massive. It is easier to cheer for an American. It gives people more interest.”
Major League Soccer continues to grow and expand in to markets without other professional teams. New York City FC just celebrated its MLS Championship with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the USA, along with Canada and Mexico.
American football remains the most popular sport for broadcasters in the United States. Let’s be honest, part of what can help make a sport popular is access to it both live and on television.
Prior to 2013 it was difficult to see soccer leagues throughout the world on television. Then NBC came along and saw the potential in showing matches from the English Premier League. In 2013 NBC Sports signed a three year deal with the Premier League worth $250 million for broadcast rights. The coverage has been so lucrative that NBC outbid other networks and recently signed a new six year deal worth $2.7 billion.
It’s not just the Premier League that is proving lucrative for American broadcasters. It’s been suggested that the combined value of media rights for club football in the US, including the MLS, Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga and UEFA competitions will be worth more than $1billion.
The average age of the typical soccer fan is younger than for the other major US sports. A younger fanbase guarantees the sport will continue to grow in popularity. Almost one million kids now play soccer in High School
When asked about the growing popularity of soccer, Matheson said, “Forty years ago, people would turn on a soccer game and not know the rules' he added. That is a hard sell. Now everyone has played when they were a kid. That is helpful.”