Soccer beats Hockey in the US

[Tawnos]

I'm going to be honest, I don't really know how this thread has been sustained for as long as it has when the reality that soccer has passed hockey is more or less undeniable.

And like that's fine! But I'm a teacher and the level of penetration soccer has with teens is unfathomable. It may be objectively bigger than baseball before long.

It really depends on what you mean by “passed”… in terms of youth participation hockey was passed by soccer like 40 years ago. The sport has had a much harder time translating that to adult attention and by extension, dollars spent. It’s still WAY behind hockey in that regard, but it has been closing the gap.

So no, it’s not “undeniable” at all. It depends on your definition of what makes a sport bigger or smaller than another sport.

 

[DoyleG]

MLS Cup linear audience down massively on Fox in year two of Apple deal

The MLS Cup between the LA Galaxy and NY Red Bulls saw a sharp decline in its linear television audience on Fox.

awfulannouncing.com

USL Championship game outdrew the MLS Cup on network TV.

 

[paul-laus]

MLS Cup linear audience down massively on Fox in year two of Apple deal

The MLS Cup between the LA Galaxy and NY Red Bulls saw a sharp decline in its linear television audience on Fox.

awfulannouncing.com

USL Championship game outdrew the MLS Cup on network TV.

Which echoes what a lot of people on these boards have espoused for some time. Yes, soccer is more popular than hockey in the US…..but it’s a complete misnomer to imply that the MLS dwarves the NHL. It’s UK Premiership, Mexican Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga that many people follow….Thats a large number of leagues that make up the “soccer” fragmentation versus the NHL…

 

[TCNorthstars]

I’m upset that I didn’t resurrect this thread 17 years later first.

Anyway, there’s another measure to use here. If you go to the “other pro hockey” board here, it becomes easy to determine that trying to get a new rink constructed for ECHL or the lower leagues- and perhaps even the A- is very much like pulling teeth.

The number of projects for USL (and other) soccer is fairly substantial. One project just completed in Lexington, Kentucky has them moving up to Championship next year, while I can point to Milwaukee, Providence/Pawtucket, Lancaster CA, and Eugene with active projects. Meanwhile Des Moines, Omaha, Greenville SC, Albuquerque, Boise, and Oklahoma City are near ready to break ground. Not including Jacksonville (a smaller park for MLS Next), Indianapolis (where Eleven Park is getting stalled because city leaders want to try straight for MLS at a different site), Sacramento (just entering the planning stage), Oakland (their move into the Coliseum next year is not meant to be permanent), and Homestead FL (just inked an agreement with USL Miami FC for what will be a slow move).Mind you, the five teams entering USL League One next year aren’t enough and two folds right at season’s end emphasize their problems. However, they’re also capable of wedging into existing facilities.

Grand Rapids MI just announced a new stadium and MLS Next team coming in 27.

 

[edog37]

It really depends on what you mean by “passed”… in terms of youth participation hockey was passed by soccer like 40 years ago. The sport has had a much harder time translating that to adult attention and by extension, dollars spent. It’s still WAY behind hockey in that regard, but it has been closing the gap.

So no, it’s not “undeniable” at all. It depends on your definition of what makes a sport bigger or smaller than another sport.

Kickball isn’t a blip on the US sports radar

 

[SirJW]

Team valuations reveal struggle & success of North American sports leagues

forums.hfboards.com

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Hockey is and will continue to be a sport for wealthy, predominately white kids in cold weather climates.

Soccer is and will continue to be the biggest sport in the world across virtually all sociodemographics. There’s just no comparison.

The NFL will likely always reign supreme in America because it has become a uniquely American pastime. But soccer will become the second biggest sport in America within another two generations, bigger than the both the NBA and MLB.

 

[Fuhrious]

But soccer will become the second biggest sport in America within another two generations, bigger than the both the NBA and MLB.

I kid you not, people have been saying this about the US for the last 40 years.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I kid you not, people have been saying this about the US for the last 40 years.

A generation is typically 20-30 years in length. So we’re only a generation or so into the earliest predictions.

Soccer has already surpassed hockey and is on track to surpass the MLB, as well. I’d say those predictions were spot on.

 

[Fuhrious]

A generation is typically 20-30 years in length. So we’re only a generation or so into the earliest predictions.

Soccer has already surpassed hockey and is on track to surpass the MLB, as well. I’d say those predictions were spot on.

Sure thing lmao

 

[John Price]

MLS is irrelevant

those people are watching other leagues

 

[varsaku]

I kid you not, people have been saying this about the US for the last 40 years.

But streaming wasn't a thing then.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Sure thing lmao

You can believe whatever you want, but it’s an undeniable fact that soccer has eclipsed hockey in NA and is only projected to become more popular. Do you really dispute this?

 

[Fuhrious]

My point stands : People like you have been saying this exact same thing for 40 years. It's as irrelevant now as it was in 1994 when that era's "you" wouldnt stop simping for Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola. And 40 years from now, future "you" will be saying the exact same thing. There's nothing to "dispute".

 

[Jets4Life]

Which echoes what a lot of people on these boards have espoused for some time. Yes, soccer is more popular than hockey in the US…..but it’s a complete misnomer to imply that the MLS dwarves the NHL. It’s UK Premiership, Mexican Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga that many people follow….Thats a large number of leagues that make up the “soccer” fragmentation versus the NHL…

Hockey will always get more viewers than soccer in the USA. The NHL always beats the MLS.

The hockey equivalent to the Soccer World Cup, would be the Olympics, and I am pretty sure hockey wins on that account as well.

You can believe whatever you want, but it’s an undeniable fact that soccer has eclipsed hockey in NA and is only projected to become more popular. Do you really dispute this?

You are making things up. As did the exact same forum members who all told us that the MLS would dwarf the NHL in 2005. 20 years later, and MLS is nowhere near the NHL in popularity in the US.

 

[Jets4Life]

Hockey is and will continue to be a sport for wealthy, predominately white kids in cold weather climates.

Soccer is and will continue to be the biggest sport in the world across virtually all sociodemographics. There’s just no comparison.

The NFL will likely always reign supreme in America because it has become a uniquely American pastime. But soccer will become the second biggest sport in America within another two generations, bigger than the both the NBA and MLB.

No, it will not.

 

[gattaca]

MLS isn't soccer in the USA. It's only the 4th most watched soccer league on US media platforms.

Women's World Cup Finals have largely gotten way bigger numbers than Olympics Gold Medal game. 2022 Olympics Gold Medal got 3.5m while 2019 World Cup Final produced 14.2m.

2018 Gold Medal game got 3.7m. 2015 Wolrd Cup Final delivered the largest audience at 26.7m. 2023 Wolrd Cup Final at 6am ET with no USA got 1.7m. A group stage match involving the USA got almost 14m.

On the men's side, with no USA side in the Finals, the English tv World Cup numbers are in similar territory as Olympic Gold Medal Final involving USA. When Spanish tv numbers are included, World Cup wins.

2010 Olympics Gold Medal game got nearly 28m while 2010 World Cup Final got 33.1m in English/Spanish. Most watched USA men's soccer game at the World Cup in English was 15m vs England in the group stage.

 

[Greatzsky 99]

It really depends on what you mean by “passed”… in terms of youth participation hockey was passed by soccer like 40 years ago. The sport has had a much harder time translating that to adult attention and by extension, dollars spent. It’s still WAY behind hockey in that regard, but it has been closing the gap.

So no, it’s not “undeniable” at all. It depends on your definition of what makes a sport bigger or smaller than another sport.

"Football Club" is a synonym for a professional football team. Like FC Barcelona, or FC Chelsea, or FC whatever team you know. Your idea of what club means might be correct to your family, or your neighborhood, or that particular context but it isn't what it means outside of it in a generic conversation.


If this was true they would go to the NHL and get paid 3 times more. Obviously, you would fine some cases of really bad players in the NHL or fairly decent in the SHL but in general, look at someone like Rodrigo Abols who is failing to get into the NHL for 2nd time.

There can be some odd cases where people are home sick and wont play, but i guess that number is like 2-3 in the world.