Basketball has been one of the most popular sports for many, many years. This sport has seen great days and great rivalries in many leagues and competitions such as NBA, Euroleague, FIBA Basketball World Cup and more.
Moreover, basketball has seen a great increase in popularity in the last 5 years. There are many reasons for this and today we will talk a little bit about everything that has contributed to this growth.
Betting options
One of the biggest things that affect the popularity of basketball is betting. Nowadays, there are numerous people around the world who bet on basketball events every day.
The most played basketball competition is of course the NBA. Finding a basketball betting site in the US is not very difficult – there are many thousands from which to choose. Once you do, you will find that there are numerous options when it comes to betting on an NBA game. With this in mind, it is easy to understand that betting has played a huge role in the growth of basketball over the last 5 years.
Television worldwide
Another important factor in the growth of basketball is also the TV. Nowadays, a sports game can be easily broadcast to numerous countries around the world. To be precise, the last three 2022 NBA Finals will be broadcast to more than 200 countries around the world.
Moreover, Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals was watched by nearly 12 million viewers on average. In fact, this Game 1 was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 in three years. With all this in mind, TV can bring a very big growth to a sport like basketball these days.
Rivalries
Rivalries have also played a big role in the growth of basketball. One of the things that has brought back many NBA fans is also the great rivalry between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
To be exact, the 4 consecutive years that these 2 teams have reached the NBA Finals make this rivalry one of the greatest of all time. Add to that the fact that the 2 biggest stars of these teams, Lebron James and Stephen Curry, have provided spectators with some of the most historic games in NBA history.
In fact, these 2 players remind the whole world a bit of Michael Jordan’s liverlies between, for example, Isaiah Thomas or Reggie Miller. With all of this in mind, basketball and the NBA have attracted many new fans to the sport with the recent big liverly between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
Social media
Last but not least, social media is also one of the main reasons why basketball is so popular. The NBA has found a way to integrate social media into the game and now has a really big fan base.
In addition, the league encourages players to engage in social media and connect with their fans as often as possible. This move has given basketball, and the NBA in particular, a big boost in people’s engagement with the sport.
Wrap up
When we combine all these facts, we can really see why basketball and NBA are gaining popularity every year. In fact, this popularity can also be seen in the revenues of each NBA team. To be exact, the total revenue of all 30 NBA teams in the 2020/2021 season is more than $6 billion.
