Various criteria have been used to measure popularity such as TV audience, attendance figures, and revenue earner. So which 축구중계 is the world’s favorite? The answer after an examination of all of the criteria is self-evident, soccer is king. But what is the world’s second favorite? That honor goes to cricket followed by basketball in third place.
It is played in 208 nations with a fan following as the number 1 sport in 93 countries with a combined population of 2 billion people and is amongst the top 3 popular sports in 100 countries with 3 billion people. It is the world richest sport and can be played by rich and poor alike. Domestic leagues in Europe value in excess of $30 billion and other leagues total another $10 billion. The soccer World Cup can boost the host country’s economy by upwards of $10 billion (except in developing countries) (Bleacher Report- Most Popular Team Sports: Soccer & Cricket, Basketball & Baseball; by Amrit Doley, May 7, 2009).
There are different types of soccer, namely, futsal or indoor soccer and beach soccer which help to broaden its appeal. And there is women’s soccer which expanded since the 1990’s and also has World Cup competitions.
It is the most popular sport in 20 countries with a combine population of 1.6 billion and is among the top 3 sports in 10 nations with a population in excess of 200 million. The cricket World Cup is the second largest sporting event in the world with a cumulative TV audience of 5 billion people. The Board of Control of Cricket in India is the richest sporting organization in the world valued in excess of $2 billion. (Bleacher Report – Most Popular Team Sports etc).
The controllers of cricket have a lot to be proud of. It ranks second in spite of the fact that (1) it is only played in the British Commonwealth countries namely, West Indies, England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand and (2) in some of these countries some people were excluded from the game at various times for reasons of race and class.
English cricket has historically involved issues of class. Teams originally consisted of amateurs (gentlemen) who belonged to the upper and middle classes and professionals (players) who were working class.
Cricket has progressed since the days when the gentlemen dominated the game. Innovations such as Twenty 20 cricket and programs to encourage cricket in state schools like “Chance to Shine” and inner city schemes have helped to broaden the game’s appeal.
Thousands of schoolchildren do not get the chance to play cricket with lingering prejudices and preconceptions putting off many more. Cricket is only played regularly in only 10% of English state schools and is only the sixth most popular sport played. On the other hand, practically all private schools offer regular cricket with excellent facilities and coaches. Up to the age of 16, about 93 % of children in the United Kingdom go to state schools so it is clear that too many young people are missing out. This lack of opportunity has filtered through to the national team. Today, over ¾ of the Test squad were educated at independent schools (English Cricket and The Class Barrier, April 9, 2013 by Andrew Thorpe-Apps).
