Soccer Hits the US as US Sport Finally Takes the Centre Stage Around the Globe

March 7, 2025

I think it is fair to say that sport is a global obsession, although which sport is the dominant obsession in any given place depends on many factors. From country to country and region to region, different sports have had varying levels of success at capturing peoples’ affection, but some sports are truly global - and I think it is accurate to state that soccer is the king of the sports world.

This is a game that has conquered continents, created global superstars and, in the case of the Soccer World Cup final, repeatedly claimed the title of the most-watched sporting event on the planet every four years.

But then there is North America, one of the sporting hotbeds of the world. It rivals even Europe in terms of how many people watch, attend, bet on, or participate in sports of all kinds.

Soccer has become huge in the US, with hundreds of thousands of fans attending matches, millions of people tuning in to watch online, and an ever-growing betting world that attracts people from all over the world to take a flutter on the odds. And soccer has spread throughout American culture, permeating everything from the malls and video games to the casinos.

If you’re not sure what I mean by that… well, you’ve only got to look on your favorite casino platform to see sports-themed games galore, especially when it comes to the casino slots. You’ll find soccer, basketball, hockey, football, and a whole lot more. You’ll see players’ faces and league branding. You’ll find casino slots for basically any sport you can imagine, but especially soccer.

This just highlights my point: sports is absolutely everywhere, permeating through all kinds of entertainment, and allowing players to enjoy their favorite games in a different medium. Whether that is playing online slots for real money at Bovada on an app, or iGaming on your smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch, you’ll see soccer’s influence everywhere.

In the specific example of soccer-themed casino slots, you’ll often find that you have the faces of famous players, as well as icons from the game, replacing the traditional cherry and BAR symbols. This increases the game’s popularity because it engages soccer fans from around the world, letting them combine two passions and enjoy the classic slots experience with a new twist. By using the popularity of soccer to create new games, the casinos are capitalizing on its unwavering support and using this to enhance their own offerings and capture new audiences.

People are passionate about soccer in a way we rarely see with other sports, and they want it in all aspects of their lives - but there is more to the story of North American sports than the exponential growth of soccer within the States.

So what am I talking about? Well, to put it simply, it’s worth noting that many sports that originated in the USA have had trouble breaking into the global markets.

Beyond Canada, few countries used to show any interest in what Americans consider to be some of the greatest sports, teams, leagues, and competitions in the world. Now, though, things have changed. Let’s take a look at how, when, and perhaps even why US sports have finally started to take the world by storm.

Marketing, Media, And Online Coverage Have All Increased US Sports Popularity

Like any other product in the entertainment market, sport is all about selling itself to people. Marketing sports may seem simple, with billions of sports lovers around the world, but it heavily depends on what sport and which markets you are trying to break into.

Whether it is the NFL, NBA, or MLB, the US sporting pantheon is pretty well set in stone, but growing these sports in Europe and around the world has taken significant marketing efforts and required harnessing the power of the media. Naturally, the way people watch these sports also enhances the appeal; with the dawn of viewing options such as 8K cutting-edge cameras, sports viewing and exclusive sporting event coverage is next-level stuff.

There’s little question that the improved viewing experience is helping sports to spread. Take basketball as an example. In the USA, it is beloved, with teams such as the Knicks, the Lakers, and the Bulls enjoying legendary status, with superstars created by each franchise. Now, basketball in Europe has skyrocketed in popularity, largely thanks to a savvy blend of marketing and media exposure.

From the internet making the NBA globally accessible to franchises investing in programs in Europe, coverage and commercial success have come hand in glove. And it is not just basketball either. Take the NFL next. In the past, it had a few die-hard fans in Europe, and now NFL games are played across the continent each season, growing the audiences by using franchise-led marketing, online coverage channels, and as many media opportunities as they can find.

All of these strategies are working, making US sports more popular than ever in Europe and beyond. This popularity is evident both when looking at online coverage on international platforms and sports pages, as well as the sports streaming platform viewing statistics, which are impressive and on the rise.

US Sporting Success Creating Global Money-Making Machines

When you look at US sports, you have to concede one thing: they have been enormously successful in turning themselves into global organizations. The NFL is a commercial behemoth, culminating each year in the Super Bowl, watched by millions around the world, with commercial advertising space during halftime costing millions per minute. The NBA has had similar successes, and the MLB too: both are now conquering the sporting world.

As far as the purely sports side of this discussion goes, between the global sports networks now carrying US sports around the world and the profusion of streaming services on a whole range of platforms making these sports even more accessible than ever, the US really is conquering new sporting frontiers. It is, in many ways, a sports marketing masterclass.

On the other side of this sporting coin is the commercial venture. That too is proving to be an unbridled success story. Yes, US sports were financially secure without the need to expand, but that fiscal security has now become worth billions. 

As we draw to a conclusion, what have we learned? One thing is certain: US sports, from basketball to baseball and American football to ice hockey, are all now enjoying global exposure that has led to massive popularity around the world.

That is true for both supporter numbers and those playing the sports. In terms of predictions, I am willing to take a punt on one thing: US sports will continue to conquer global markets, will get bigger and bigger in more countries, and will, in time, become almost as popular worldwide as they are at home.