Football Named America’s Most Popular Sport for 30th Year

Professional football has acquired the title of America’s most popular sport for the 30th year in a row.

In a survey conducted by Harris Poll, adult fans, ages 18 and over, were questioned about their favorite sport since 1985. 35 percent claimed the NFL as their desired sport, followed by Major League Baseball with 14 percent, college football at 11 percent, auto racing at 7 percent, the NBA with 6 percent, the NHL with 5 percent and college basketball with 3 percent.

In 1985, when the poll was first conducted, the NFL had beat out the MLB by a single percentage point with the NFL accumulating 24 percent and the MLB with 23 percent. But, while the interest in Major League Baseball has decreased, the NFL has experienced a heightened popularity.

According to the Harris Poll, the demographics of an individual play a major roll in a sports popularity. Those who reside in a rural East coast area tend to favor the NFL more than the general population, while southerners claim college football as their sport of choice. Also, those who accumulate an annual income of $100,000 or more tend to be baseball fans, and individuals with a high school education or less tend to favor auto racing.