Three sports that are expected to become even more popular in the next couple of years
Sports have long been among the most popular things in the world. This popularity will not change in the next couple of years. But some sports will be even more popular than they are today.
The sports industry is one of the most influential and profitable industries globally. This profitability is easy to understand when we say that the market value of the sports industry will reach almost $600 billion in 2022.
However, some sports stand out from the rest. Today, for example, football, cricket and basketball are the most popular sports globally. But this may change in the coming years. This article will go over the three sports expected to become more popular in the next few years.
Esports – the new popular trend
Esports is one of the biggest trends of our time. With over 500 million viewers worldwide, Esports is the next big thing in the sports world. The big hit for Esports came with the gaming apps for mobile devices.
Nowadays, most gamers in the world play games on their phones or tablets. However, the consoles and the PC versions of the games are becoming more and more popular. With games from every category (FPS, MOBA, RPG, etc.) participating in global tournaments, the Esports industry grows every year.
With its incredible growth, Esports has also managed to gain a foothold in the gambling industry. In the famous Esports competitions of recent times, the gambling industry has a significant influence, as it offers its users the opportunity to place bets on numerous markets. Several betting sites have Esports on their list and where anyone can place bets, such as the 32Red online betting site. The variety of betting options and the popularity of the Esports betting category, in general, is another reason why Esports are more than just a trend.
In addition to all that, there is a lot of discussion about Esports participating in the Olympic Games in 2024. If that happens, the popularity of Esports in the world will automatically increase many times over. With all this in mind, we can safely say that Esports is one of the next big things in the sports industry.
Rugby – a worldwide famous sport
Rugby is one of the most popular sports globally, but not in the top 5 places. However, it is estimated that rugby has more than 450 million loyal fans worldwide. Rugby has seen incredible growth due to the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics in recent years.
In addition, the growth the sport has experienced is prompting many people to start new clubs. Today, more than 180,000 rugby clubs are officially registered. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why more and more people are making their first attempts at rugby every day.
The sport of rugby also has several offshoots. However, the most famous rugby tournament is the World Cup, which takes place every four years. The next World Cup is scheduled for France in 2023.
The sport’s growth can also be seen in the number of attendance in recent World Cups. The highest rugby match attendance was recorded at the 2015 World Cup in England, when the tournament was watched by 2,477,805 people, reaching 95% of total capacity. At the 2019 World Cup in Japan, the total attendance was 1,698,528, 90% of full capacity.
It is easy to understand that rugby is one of the sports expected to become even more popular in the next few years.
Football – the king of sports
Football has been the most popular sport in the world for many years. With billions of fans worldwide, football is considered the king of all sports. Football is also a very profitable industry with major leagues in all countries and competitions like the Champions League.
The Champions League is the biggest football tournament in Europe, organised every year by UEFA. With millions of fans, not only from Europe, this competition contains some of the most well-known clubs every year. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool are just a few of the best European football teams.
On the flip side, football isn’t only about clubs. There are also significant national competitions like the World Cup, one of the most-watched sporting events in the world. Since the first tournament in Uruguay (1930), the World Cup has been held in more than ten countries. The next World Cup will be held in Qatar in 2022, and most tickets are already sold out. FIFA announced that more than 800,000 tickets were sold in the first presale alone.
In addition, football has the most officially registered clubs in the world. It is also played by more than 200 million players in over 200 countries worldwide. Football is expected to gain many more new fans in the coming years with all this in mind.
