The NFL (National Football League) and the NBA (National Basketball Association) are, without a doubt, two of the biggest sporting leagues in the world. They host some of the most entertaining sports games yearly, leaving many to wonder which of the two leagues is better. Both leagues have their reasons for qualifying as the best, so what are they?
First, there are many differences between the NFL and the NBA. In the NBA, teams play 82 games per season, while the NFL plays just 17. This is because the NFL has more injuries since football is a contact sport. NFL teams usually play once a week, while NBA teams play three games a week.
Although the NBA plays more games, the NFL usually sells more tickets per game. NFL teams play fewer games per season, so tickets are more scarce, leading to higher demand. However, the NBA sells more tickets annually due to there being more games per season. This is the same for attendance: the NFL averages more attendance per game, but the NBA gets more attendance annually.
Each NFL game averages around 17.5 million live viewers watching the broadcast from home, while the NBA only gets around 1.5 million viewers per game. The NFL gets so many viewers per broadcast per game because there are fewer games in the NFL season, making each game more important than an NBA regular-season game.
Another thing to consider is their viewership for championship games. The Super Bowl gets around 100 million viewers, while an NBA finals game averages around 5 million viewers. The NBA sees fewer viewers for a finals game because the NBA finals are seven games, while the Super Bowl is just one game, making it more scarce.
However, the NBA is generally more popular outside the United States. This is because basketball is played in many countries, while football is mainly played in the US. The NFL, however, has recently played many games outside of the US, such as hosting games in countries like London, Munich, Germany, Toronto, Canada, and Mexico City. These games aim to attract foreign viewers and fans to the NFL.
The NFL and NBA are undoubtedly two of the best sporting leagues in the world. Both leagues are entertaining to watch, attract viewers in person and at home, and have fans worldwide. But now, the question is, which of the two leagues is your personal favorite?