Top 10 most watched sports leagues in the world

#1 NFL: Avg. attendance-68,278

The NFL is the most watched sports league in the world

The NFL continues to dominate as the league with the highest attendance figures, beating out second place by roughly 25,000 heads. Interestingly, the NFL attendance figures have actually been declining. Back in 2007, the average attendance was 69,564 heads. And yet it holds a commanding lead. It is estimated that it costs an average of $443.93 to attend an NFL game taking factors such as parking, cost of food, drinks, etc. It is also the most popular sports league in the USA going by television ratings and merchandising.

The Super Bowl is the most watched annual event on US television, and Super Bowl XLIX holds the distinction of being the single most watched program in US television history. Back in 1998, 54% of fans would have preferred to attend a game in person, but in 2011 the number reduced to 29 percent as the fans have the option of live streaming matches wherever they may be.

The NFL was founded in 1920 with a combination of teams from leagues such as Ohio league, New York Pro Football League and the Chicago circuit. It further expanded by partially absorbing the All-American Football Conference in 1949 and by merging with the American Football League in 1970.