College sports are more than just games. Unlike other countries, in the USA, college sports are a vital pathway to professional sports success. A typical university in the US has an average of 20 athletic programs, and an estimated 520,000 athletes1 have the opportunity to hone their sporting skills in preparation for a professional career.
College sports have proven their ability to attract massive audiences of over 100,000, setting a new standard for other related sporting events. Additionally, there has been a substantial surge in TV viewership for college sports.
This article examines North America’s most popular college sports based on viewership.
Top 3 biggest college sports
Football
College football is the most popular college sport by far. During the 2022 season, Americans streamed 4.1 billion minutes of live college football.
This high-action sport brings in $31.9 million per school per year2, mainly due to TV deals. For example, beginning July 1, 2023, the Big Ten Conference will begin a seven-year media rights deal with CBS, Fox, and NBC. This agreement is the largest in college sports history, putting the approximate value of the deal at a record $1.2 billion annually3.
Basketball
College basketball is a close second behind college football in popularity. A main factor in its popularity is the annual March Madness tournament. In fact, in March 2023 alone, the men’s tournament brought in $875 million4 in revenue for the NCAA.
March Madness is one of the most significant sporting events in the country each year in both men’s and women’s basketball. This year’s men’s national championship game averaged 14.7 million viewers5 and the women’s national championship game averaged a record-setting 9.9 million viewers6.
Baseball
America’s favorite pastime is the third most popular college sport by viewership. Last year, the 15-game span of the Men’s College World Series collectively drew 29.5 million fans7.
Unlike football and basketball, baseball is both a spring and summer sport that requires good weather to play. Because of that factor, baseball tends to be more popular in areas with more predictable weather8 and less popular in northern states. But even so, there are baseball fans everywhere!
NCAA Sports for your business
Finding the best way to see all of your favorite college sports matchups is much easier with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS.
Upon signing up for a college sports package, you’ll receive access to popular channels dedicated to broadcasting college sports all year. Those channels include ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, Fox Sports 1, and Big Ten Network. Plus, get:
- HD-quality sports coverage year-round
- Games and events from preseason action to highly anticipated championship games
- Quality business support available 7 days a week, 8AM to 12AM EST
If you’re looking for stellar sports entertainment that helps retain current customers and bring in new faces, we’re here to support you. View our sports packages to find what works best for your business!