top of page

BATTLE OF THE BAG AND EYES; NHL bigger than MLS




The word "sports" may also mean "challenge," and the context demonstrates not just how athletes compete with one another for championships but also how each competition and sporting event competes with one another for sponsorship and viewership in order to be deemed the biggest. Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League (NHL) are not excluded.

Many forecasts regarding the MLS's continued growth in earnings and popularity have been made in recent months, particularly in light of the signing of Argentina's national team captain and leading Balon Do'r winner Lionel Messi.

It is crucial to bring up the subject of which sport is more popular and bigger; the National Hockey League (NHL) or Major League Soccer (MLS) as the NHL 2023/24 regular season gets set to begin on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.


The ages of the leagues should be mentioned, even though they don't really matter. While the MLS was established in 1993, the NHL was formed in 1917. Whereas the MLS is a competition between 28 teams, the NHL is fought by 32 teams.




Viewership is a crucial factor in evaluating which sport is larger and a recent survey indicates that the NHL receives at least 300,000 to 400,000 viewers annually, while the MLS receives at least 200,000. The 2026 World Cup will bring about a significant transformation in the American sports scene, but for now, the NHL is in the lead.

With its quick growth, the MLS ($677 million) is almost on pace to overtake the NHL ($753 million) in revenue. According to a survey uploaded on X, even before Lionel Messi's arrival, MLS is actually reducing the revenue gap with the other major American sports leagues. However, the NHL continues to be the winner.





For years, some have questioned the continued importance of soccer; yet, new data shows that Major League Soccer (MLS) now draws larger crowds on average than the NHL and NBA combined. Still, a key component in determining whether the figures hold true is the upcoming NHL season.

In conclusion, based on revenue, the 32-team ice hockey league ranks fifth on the globe, ahead of the 10th-place US soccer league, as per Wikipedia. While the choice of which league is bigger may also depend on personal preferences and interests, The figures provided above favor one over the other.


Comments


bottom of page