Motorsport is a very popular niche within the whole sports scene and one that has a lot to offer fans. It certainly plays its part in what this industry brings to society and the various ways in which people can get involved with it. While sports in general remain popular on the whole and see steady increases in terms of fans and viewers each year, the numbers posted by motorsport recently have left many of its supporters excited.
But is this sport really rising in popularity faster than the sector as a whole?
What are the other major sports for motorsport to compete with?
To really gauge if the popularity of motorsport is rising faster than sports as a whole, you have to look at the other major sports it is competing with. A great place to start is with football, and the NFL in particular.
This has long been a hugely popular sport in the USA and attracts millions of fans. When you consider that the total viewing figure of 208 million for Super Bowl 2022 was up from the 96.4 million in 2021 and 102.1 million in 2020, it is clear that football’s popularity is still on the up. This is even clearer when you see the expansion of the NFL globally in recent years.
As with any sport, of course, there are multiple reasons behind the NFL’s rising stock. As well as a general plan for wider engagement, its status with bettors is also a factor. Many people like to make prop bets on NL games, for example, to add more fun to them. For more information on what these kinds of NFL bets are, visit thegameday.com today.
Although looking at individual sports like football can be useful, taking a wider view of the growth of sports overall is also worthwhile. Figures recorded in 2020 showed a 4.3% increase in the sports industry overall from 2014, with it estimated to be worth over $500bn.
But has motorsport kept pace with this and is it rising even faster currently?
Is the popularity of motorsport rising faster than sports as a whole?
The forecast for motorsport in the next few years does seem to confirm it is on the rise and is outstripping sports as a sector in general. In 2021, for example, motorsport was thought to be worth around $4.8bn, which was up from previous years.
To make the rapid growth of this niche even clearer, it is expected to hit a market size of around $7.8bn by 2026 – with a growth rate of around 7.2% from 2021. These kinds of figures show the level of expansion motorsport has not only experienced lately but which it is also expected to see moving ahead.
Why has motorsport become so popular lately?
To begin with, you have to factor in that motorsport is exciting, fun to watch and full of high-octane action. Whether you follow enduro racing, dirt bikes, Formula One or the WRC, you will never get bored watching them. This is not always true for other sports with a slower pace and explains why motorsport seems more appealing than others.
The range of choice in terms of motorsport has also helped it grow at a rapid rate. We have noted some of the most closely followed forms of competition and they alone show the diversity in this sport. This has helped to attract more people to it than other sports that might not offer such a diverse range of options.
You also have to factor in the increased accessibility to motorsport and the fact that people are becoming more interested in adrenaline-charged sports in the modern age. The younger generation, in particular, seem to respond more to extreme sports and those that offer a bigger buzz than more traditional choices like cricket or tennis.
With more options than ever on TV or the internet to watch motorsport, plus more sites online to read about them, it is no wonder that this niche within the sporting industry has picked up so many new fans.
Motorsport seems to be rising faster than sports as a whole
There is no doubt that sports continue to be popular and that the whole sector enjoys rising numbers of fans each year. Motorsport, though, does seem to be on a much faster upward trajectory than sports as a whole and this could soon make it one of the most followed sports around.