The 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the World: One Could Buy Pakistan Thrice Over!

The 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the world. These sports giants are so economically dominant that, as the phrase goes, the worth of one of them alone could purchase a nation like Pakistan not once, nor twice, but thrice over!

10. UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club-level competition in European soccer, with 32 teams, including Real Madrid and Manchester United, fighting for the trophy each year from among the world’s top teams.

Roughly 400 million euros a year, in roughly 3,260 crore rupees, is translated from the Real Madrid record holder with 13 titles and 13 Real Madrid cups of gold. Furthermore, the 2020 final received 109 million views, making it a record for the league, and it is televised more than the rest of the league combined.

9. Serie A (Italy)

In the Countdown of the 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the world. Next is Italy, and with its Club Juventus and Inter, it boasts world-famous clubs. With 36 of them from Juventus, it holds the record for the league’s most championships. Juventus has them, and she has 36. One of Italy’s most famous leagues was established in the 19th century, in 1898, making it older than the FIFA World Cup.

The annual revenue of the league is roughly €3 billion (more than ₹10,630 crores). Its games have an average attendance of 24,931, proving the ardent Italian fan base.

The Bundesliga of Germany ranks eighth. Its strongest appeal is the phenomenal fan following; the league sells an average of a whopping 1,738 tickets per minute on match days! The mood in the stadium is charged.

8. Bundesliga (Germany)

In the Countdown of the 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the world Bundesliga is A major part of its income through broadcasting rights, and it brings in nearly ₹3,182 crores every year. This accounts for a league revenue of $4.32 billion, which increases annually steadily.

7. La Liga (Spain)

Seventh on our list is Spain’s top football league, La Liga. It’s renowned for showcasing the historic rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The league distributes an average of 1,000 tickets per minute and generates a staggering ₹13,880 crores per year from broadcasting rights alone.

La Liga’s overall revenue is around $2.5 billion. But the latest transfer of global superstar Lionel Messi from Barcelona will affect its income in the next few years.

6. National Hockey League (NHL)

Stepping aside from football, the sixth place belongs to North America’s National Hockey League (NHL). It’s an ice hockey league that’s a huge passion in Canada and the USA. It was established back in 1917, making it more than a century old. Its thrilling action attracts an average of 17,481 fans per match.

The NHL’s enormous revenues of well over $4.8 billion earn its spot as the world’s sixth-wealthiest league.

5. English Premier League (EPL)

In the Countdown of the 10 Biggest Sports Leagues in the world, the English Premier League has received fifth position. The Premier League is back after its record-breaking season in the 1990’s where it won all the praise and adoration with its record-breaking crowds. Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea are among the top teams.

The EPL in 2016 landed a mind-boggling broadcasting contract of ₹35,992 crores annually for three years. With an average attendance per match of 38,167 and total income of $5.3 billion, its position cannot be disputed. Its status will only grow as it has the presence of world giants such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

4. National Basketball Association (NBA)

The NBA is renowned globally as the best basketball league. Though its fan base is mainly based in North America, it enjoys a huge international following of more than 800 million citizens, ranking among the world’s top five most-watched sports.

Established in 1946, the greatness of the league is also gauged by team valuations and franchises such as the Chicago Bulls, with a worth of more than $2 billion. It collects roughly ₹25,666 crores every year from broadcasting. Owing to an average capacity attendance of 17,864 and famously exorbitant ticket prices, spectators rush to the games. The NBA’s revenue is over $8 billion.

3. Major League Baseball (MLB)

Wins the bronze medal in Major League Baseball. A staple of American sporting tradition, the MLB is approximately 150 years old, which makes it the most ancient professional sporting league on our list. It generates around ₹3,436 crores annually through broadcasting and attracts an average of 28,698 spectators per match.

2. Indian Premier League (IPL)

In an unparalleled ascension, the Indian Premier League (IPL) stands in the second position! Right from its birth in 2008, it has astonished everyone by emerging as a humongous financial giant in a matter of a few years.

The Indian cricket mania is quite distinct, and it’s the primary cause of the success of the IPL. The tournament draws highly qualified international players who earn huge amounts, much higher than what’s paid in other cricket competitions. In addition to that, IPL games witness an average live crowd of more than 58,000 individuals.

A milestone was achieved in 2022 when the BCCI auctioned its broadcasting rights for a whopping ₹44,075 crores. It pushed the overall valuation of the IPL to a staggering $14 billion. The expansion of the league appears to be unstoppable, supported by shrewd business decisions such as having obtained a ₹5,000 crore insurance policy to cover against possible losses.

1. National Football League (NFL)

And last but certainly not least, the unchallenged champion of professional leagues: the National Football League (NFL). The top league for American football stands alone on two key grounds.

First, it commands the highest average attendance of any professional sports league globally—a staggering 67,465 attendees per match. Second, its financial dominance is unrivaled, taking the top spot with considerable room to spare.

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