
No matter where you are in the world, sports is a popular source of entertainment for all, even if it isn’t a local event. Many sports have special events that showcase the best of the best leading to them being watched globally, not to mention bringing in unthinkable amount of money in broadcasting, tickets, and merchandise for the hosts. Here’s a look at some of the biggest sporting events that capture the world’s attention and I’m sure you have heard of most.
The SuperBowl
When it comes to the NFL, it’s all about the Superbowl. The American National Football League holds the Superbowl every year in a different city in the United States, each annual event sees two teams that have made it to the final round of the season, battling it out in the Superbowl ring. The first event was held in 1967 and saw the Greenbay Packers take victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The event is available worldwide and is watched by an average of 98 million people, generating over $17 billion each year, through tickets, broadcasting, refreshments and merchandise. The New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers hold the title for most Superbowl wins to date – with each winning six championships – and the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers coming in second, each with 5 championships.
The Grand National
Whether you are a Horse Racing fanatic or if you aren’t a big fan, I’m sure you have heard of the Grand National and many of you might have placed a bet. When it comes to racing, the Grand National is the most famous event, known all over the world and is held annually, with its first run in 1839. The National Hunt racing event is held in Aintree, Liverpool England, and offers generous prizes that differed over the years, but stand steady at around £1 million as of 2019.
The Grand National is not only popular among horse racing fans but is one of the most popular betting events and generates an estimate of £250 million in bets alone each year due to the hopes of winning big and the thrill of waiting on the racing result for each race. Whether you are a professional better, crunching the numbers for a big win or putting down a £1 wager on the horse with the nicest colors, the event is popular with all, with an average of 600 million viewers all across the globe.
The World Cup
Football is the most popular sport in the world and so the biggest event – the FIFA World Cup – is not short on viewers. The event is held every four years in different host countries all over the world and sees countries from all over the world put their best players on the field to be in with a chance to win the trophy. The event generally goes on for just over a month and grabs the attention of 3.5 billion viewers around the world – on average.
Each hosting country spares no expense in preparation for the event, but they are not left empty-handed as the events generate an average of around $6 billion dollars and the hosts will see a healthy amount of that revenue due to ticket sales, merchandise and food sales; not to mention many dedicated fans like to stay in the host country during the duration of the tournament and so hotels will see a healthy inflow of money, boosting the economy of the country.