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Soccer definitely has the breadth of places played locked down. Nothing is likely to overtake that any time soon. But basketball has a surprising advantage in

Soccer definitely has the breadth of places played locked down. Nothing is likely to overtake that any time soon. But basketball has a surprising advantage in potential players in that China is mad about basketball. The last time I was there the enthusiasm I saw for the sport, especially with young players rivaled anything I’ve seen outside of my own basketball obsessed childhood home of Indiana. Which leads to another conclusion. If I were betting the most popular sport globally I’d probably bet on Ping Pong, just based on Chinese school children participation.

BoiledCabbage 9y ago
> Soccer definitely has the breadth of places played locked down. Nothing is likely to overtake that any time soon. > But basketball has a surprising advantage in potential players in that China is mad about basketball. The last time I was there the enthusiasm I saw for the sport, especially with young players rivaled anything I’ve seen outside of my own basketball obsessed childhood home of Indiana. > Which leads to another conclusion. If I were betting the most popular sport globally I’d probably bet on Ping Pong, just based on Chinese school children participation. Basketball flat out isn't. Every single adult male in China could play it and it still wouldn't be the most popular sport in the world.
- kasey_junk 9y ago
  Your suggesting that there is a sport out there right now that more than 10% of the global population plays? Cause Soccer certainly isn’t played at that scale.
  - querulous 9y ago
    currently plays obv you're right, but played ever? i bet it's over 10%. youth soccer participation is over 50% in most of europe and north america and while it's hard to find statistics for africa and south america for organized play for casual play i would be shocked if it was lower than the organized play rate for north america
imron 9y ago
> But basketball has a surprising advantage in potential players in that China is mad about basketball. You ignore all the players in China that are mad about Soccer.
- kasey_junk 9y ago
  I think the conversation about most popular sports in the world almost always ignores the size of India & China. If any sport takes over in those places it basically rockets to the top of the list (thus cricket which is a marginal sport most places is very popular globally based on Indian participation). So you can say my bet on basketball is not ignoring Chinese soccer participants it’s just a bet that basketball will outstrip soccer in China.
  - civilitty 9y ago
    I don't think you have any idea what you're talking about. An estimated 700 million people watched the 2006 finals of the FIFA World Cup. In 2014 the entire tournament was watched by an estimated four billion people and that's just one event. Unless the Chinese population explodes to 5 billion people overnight and they ALL start watching basketball, the two sports aren't even in the same league.
    - avar 9y ago
      Football's wildly popular, but spectator numbers are a non-argument for that. How many people have seen Michael Schumacher drive or Conor McGregor fight? Neither is indicative of how many are participating in race car driving or MMA themselves.
      - civilitty 9y ago
        The last FIFA census estimated that there are 265 million people playing in organized games with 5 million referees. The number of people who play pickup soccer games is much, much higher.

BoiledCabbage 9y ago

> Soccer definitely has the breadth of places played locked down. Nothing is likely to overtake that any time soon. > But basketball has a surprising advantage in potential players in that China is mad about basketball. The last time I was there the enthusiasm I saw for the sport, especially with young players rivaled anything I’ve seen outside of my own basketball obsessed childhood home of Indiana. > Which leads to another conclusion. If I were betting the most popular sport globally I’d probably bet on Ping Pong, just based on Chinese school children participation. Basketball flat out isn't. Every single adult male in China could play it and it still wouldn't be the most popular sport in the world.

kasey_junk 9y ago
Your suggesting that there is a sport out there right now that more than 10% of the global population plays? Cause Soccer certainly isn’t played at that scale.
- querulous 9y ago
  currently plays obv you're right, but played ever? i bet it's over 10%. youth soccer participation is over 50% in most of europe and north america and while it's hard to find statistics for africa and south america for organized play for casual play i would be shocked if it was lower than the organized play rate for north america

imron 9y ago

> But basketball has a surprising advantage in potential players in that China is mad about basketball. You ignore all the players in China that are mad about Soccer.

kasey_junk 9y ago
I think the conversation about most popular sports in the world almost always ignores the size of India & China. If any sport takes over in those places it basically rockets to the top of the list (thus cricket which is a marginal sport most places is very popular globally based on Indian participation). So you can say my bet on basketball is not ignoring Chinese soccer participants it’s just a bet that basketball will outstrip soccer in China.
- civilitty 9y ago
  I don't think you have any idea what you're talking about. An estimated 700 million people watched the 2006 finals of the FIFA World Cup. In 2014 the entire tournament was watched by an estimated four billion people and that's just one event. Unless the Chinese population explodes to 5 billion people overnight and they ALL start watching basketball, the two sports aren't even in the same league.
  - avar 9y ago
    Football's wildly popular, but spectator numbers are a non-argument for that. How many people have seen Michael Schumacher drive or Conor McGregor fight? Neither is indicative of how many are participating in race car driving or MMA themselves.
    - civilitty 9y ago
      The last FIFA census estimated that there are 265 million people playing in organized games with 5 million referees. The number of people who play pickup soccer games is much, much higher.