What is Responsible for Baseball’s Popularity?
It is no secret that baseball’s popularity has somewhat declined in the past couple of years. However, the game still remains one of the biggest, if not the biggest sports in the USA. Major League Baseball certainly generates the most revenue, because the sheer volume of games being played.
Betting on Baseball
Naturally, with so many games being played, the amount of cash generated will be high. That isn’t even accounting for all the cash spent on sports betting. And boy, do Americans love baseball betting. In fact, baseball is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the USA.
If you want to see the sheer impact baseball betting has had on various sportsbooks, you can check out one of the various baseball betting websites online. These bookies cover baseball with utmost care. On top of that, they offer various bonuses that will help boost the odds for new and existing players alike.
But, why is baseball such a popular sport in the USA? More to the point, why is the sport growing in popularity worldwide? What could be responsible for baseball’s massive success? In this article, we answer these questions.
Legacy
As far as the USA’s concerned, baseball’s popularity has to do with legacy. The game is one of the oldest played in the United States. While the exact date of baseball’s creation is unknown, we do know it was somewhere in the early-to-mid 19th century. However, similar stick-and-ball games might have existed for much longer.
Throughout history, baseball became known as America’s favorite pastime, and a truly American sport. It is wholly original, rather than derivative like football, and often considered the first sport to come out of the USA. Legacy, certainly, plays a huge role in the game’s massive success.
Popular Media
Another reason for the success of baseball, not just in the USA, but globally, might have something to do with all of the popular media that has been produced on the topic. We are mostly talking about some of the best sports films of all time here. However, there have been video games, novels, and even animated series.
The most popular baseball film, of course, would be Angels in the Outfield (1994), starring a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt. However, Field of Dreams, Moneyball, and Major League are all films worth checking out, especially if you are a baseball fan.
Social Media
In the age of the internet, social media has contributed greatly to the popularization of baseball, and sports in general. It is much easier to get excited for a sport when we see millions of people from all over the world are also hyped for it.
If the Boston Red Sox are playing the New York Yankees to a crowd of millions of Americans, that is one thing. If the Boston Red Sox are playing the New York Yankees, and tens, if not hundreds of people from all over the world are watching and commenting on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., the impact is, naturally, much greater.
