When it comes to popular sports leagues worldwide, both NFL and MLB are chart leaders for obvious reasons. Whether it’s the large fan following, thrilling games, or tough competitions, these leagues have got them all!
They are also popular among bettors (whether offline or online) who wager on their favourite teams after an in-depth interpretation of NFL or MLB picks. Regardless of them being two popular leagues, the iconic NFL vs MLB debate is real among fans.
If you are curious about the debate and want to learn about both NFL and MLB, then this guide is for you:
NFL vs MLB: Popularity
There is absolutely no doubt that the NFL is more popular than the MLB. Not only do they bring more revenue, but they are also preferable among watchers. As per a survey, around 37% of U.S. citizens prefer watching football to 9% of baseball. With such statistics, it’s clear that the NFL is more dominant than the MLB, with an extensive fan-following since 1970.
The NFL also has a connection with Arsenal, whose fans must be wondering how they are setting up for the 2022/2023 season (UEFA Europa League). Stan Kroenke owns both the LA Rams (super bowl) and Arsenal, hence the connection!
NFL vs MLB: Revenue
Most people must be curious about which of the above leagues generates the higher revenue. Game-wise, it might seem obvious that MLB generates more revenues, as they organize around 2,430 matches yearly.
But, do not fall for the quantity. The NFL generates billions of revenue, with values higher than what they scored last year. In 2021, they hit $11.1 billion in revenue, which is greater than the MLB’s $9.56 billion. So, you can do the math.
Not just that, they also generate more average and sponsorship revenues than MLB matches.
NFL vs MLB: Viewership
Some years back, there was a common discussion that NFL’s viewership is declining, but it’s still much more than MLB. In 2021, NFL viewership increased around 10% more than the prior year, with an average of 17.1 million viewers per game (T.V. and digital). With such views, they have bagged the highest regular season average viewership since 2015.
2021 MLB, on the other hand, was the eighth season (straight) that saw a decline in sports attendance. View-wise, they saw a 12% decline in household average from the 2019-2021 seasons. They did witness a boost in views for Fox broadcast games 4 and 5 with an average of 10.51 million viewers and 13.64 million viewers, respectively.
NFL vs MLB: Salary
In terms of salary, NFL players earn about $208,507 to $5,596,415 with median values of $1,018,301. The top 89% of the players earn around $5,596,415.
On the other hand, MLB players’ minimum salary was set at $564,000 (per year). The average stoop up to 4.43 million U.S. dollars in the year 2020.
It’s quite clear from the above comparison that the NFL is the winner in the NFL vs MLB battle. But, both of these leagues are fun to watch for sports fanatics.