Fans - not participation.
- Woderwick

seems more relevant

These Go Leafs Go chants must just infuriate Western Canada. I can't wait to hear it on Saturday in Vancouver.

The problem is threefold:

1) How do you define popularity? Attendance? Viewership? Amateur participation?

2) If attendance or viewership are considered, do you use average or total? By total attendance, MLB is the biggest league in the world. By average, the CFL is top ten. You can see the flaws with both approaches.

3) Participation numbers for various sports globally have about a 0% chance of being reliable for most countries.
- Leeman4Gilmour

soccer is still number one though
think of all the poor people who play soccer, half of them don't even have electricity

PS
cfl is horrible

The problem is threefold:

1) How do you define popularity? Attendance? Viewership? Amateur participation?

2) If attendance or viewership are considered, do you use average or total? By total attendance, MLB is the biggest league in the world. By average, the CFL is top ten. You can see the flaws with both approaches.

3) Participation numbers for various sports globally have about a 0% chance of being reliable for most countries.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Not a chance. Soccer's global and they're stuffing 100,000 people in a stadium in those Mexican, South American and African leagues.

Not a chance. Soccer's global and they're stuffing 100,000 people in a stadium in those Mexican, South American and African leagues.
- gravyface

in terms of total attendance the mlb dominates. nothing is even really close.

you would also have to specify most played or watched I guess. the lists would be different..with soccer #1 on both
- senstroll

You'd have to put running high on the list for participation.

soccer is still number one though
think of all the poor people who play soccer, half of them don't even have electricity

PS
cfl is horrible
- Sammich

I didn't realize how boring the CFL is until I got involved with fantasy football a few years back and started watching the NFL all the time.

EVERYBODY FOCUS ON THE GAME!!!

wrong way more fans at baseball games and more games played
- jribout

agree to disagree

all that matters is Hockey is most popular in my house

In the world.

Rugby is popular in the UK.

Less so in France.

Trying to catch on in Italy.

Fringe sport in North America.

One country in South America likes it.

NZ is a tiny country.

Parts of Australia like it.

South Africa.

A bunch of tiny island countries.

That's about it.
- Atomic Wedgie

And it's popular on your street thanks to that famous Fullback, Wedgie - or was he a Hooker?

Not a chance. Soccer's global and they're stuffing 100,000 people in a stadium in those Mexican, South American and African leagues.
- gravyface

They play so few games, though. MLB draws like 3 times more fans through the turnstiles than the Premier League.

I didn't realize how boring the CFL is until I got involved with fantasy football a few years back and started watching the NFL all the time.
- Leeman4Gilmour

how the hell do you have a FF league for the cfl?
Is it just you against a friend?

These Go Leafs Go chants must just infuriate Western Canada. I can't wait to hear it on Saturday in Vancouver.
- Jeffmt

I'm more bothered by TSN saying "Here watch the Leafs/Flames on TSN and TSN2 instead of us doing some pregame on TSN2"

You'd have to put running high on the list for participation.
- Atomic Wedgie

This.

What about the vaguely defined, "track and field"? I'd wager every able-bodied person on this earth has raced somebody at some point.

how the hell do you have a FF league for the cfl?
Is it just you against a friend?
- Sammich

I'm more bothered by TSN saying "Here watch the Leafs/Flames on TSN and TSN2 instead of us doing some pregame on TSN2"
- DTF69

No one cares about the Nucks outside BC...

They play so few games, though. MLB draws like 3 times more fans through the turnstiles than the Premier League.
- Leeman4Gilmour

The leagues themselves don't play often. Usually once a week. But there are all sorts of interleague stuff and friendlies that it probably averages out to more.

And not even close to every MLB game even sniffs 50% capacity.

They play so few games, though. MLB draws like 3 times more fans through the turnstiles than the Premier League.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Premier is just one league though. How many soccer leagues are there worldwide? Some of the stadium sizes are absolutely ridiculous too. In fact, MLB probably isn't even the top attended North American sport if you include NCAA football.

Not a chance. Soccer's global and they're stuffing 100,000 people in a stadium in those Mexican, South American and African leagues.
- gravyface

On a purely spectator basis, not sure.

162 x 30 x 50K per year is a huge number for baseball in North America alone.
144 x 12 x 40k per year in Japan
add rest of the worlds leagues...not sure on live viewership then anyone can beat baseball numbers

On popularity and participation, it's not a question that Soccer is king.

how the hell do you have a FF league for the cfl?
Is it just you against a friend?
- Sammich

No, no. I got involved with NFL FF and that's how I got exposed to it.

And it's popular on your street thanks to that famous Fullback, Wedgie - or was he a Hooker?
- Woderwick

Scrum half, actually.

It's why I wear #9 in hockey.

The leagues themselves don't play often. Usually once a week. But there are all sorts of interleague stuff and friendlies that it probably averages out to more.

And not even close to every MLB game even sniffs 50% capacity.
- DTF69

The MLB has the highest total attendance. This is a fact.

You may look it up on Wikipedia to confirm. It's not close.

No, no. I got involved with NFL FF and that's how I got exposed to it.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Head to head football pools are one of the best type of pools out there.
I am in 3!

On a purely spectator basis, not sure.

162 x 30 x 50K per year is a huge number for baseball in North America alone.
144 x 12 x 40k per year in Japan
add rest of the worlds leagues...not sure on live viewership then anyone can beat baseball numbers

On popularity and participation, it's not a question that Soccer is king.
- Cooshie

This is using the flawed assumption that every MLB team is selling out every game. Many don't even come close.

The MLB has the highest total attendance. This is a fact.

You may look it up on Wikipedia to confirm. It's not close.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Long hair don't care.