Why the NFL is the World’s Most Successful Sports League

This Sunday marks the start of another NFL season. The 17 games the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play, plus a few Sunday and Monday night games, will comprise almost 90% of my TV viewing this year.

While the English Premier League has a far greater worldwide appeal, the NFL dominates in revenue generation, fan engagement, and excitement, all within just seventeen regular-season games. Several key factors contribute to its unparalleled success:

Popularity in the United States:
American football is deeply ingrained in U.S. culture, and the NFL has capitalized on this by becoming a major part of the national sports fabric. The Super Bowl, the league’s championship game, consistently ranks among the most-watched events in U.S. television history. In 2023, Super Bowl LVII attracted 113 million viewers, making it the third-most-watched TV broadcast ever in the U.S. This massive viewership has driven ad revenue to staggering heights — companies paid upwards of $7 million for a 30-second ad spot in 2023.

Media Rights and Broadcasting Deals:
The NFL’s revenue skyrockets due to its strategic media deals. In 2021, the league signed a $113 billion media deal spanning 11 years with networks like ESPN, CBS, Fox, and NBC. This deal will bring the NFL over $10 billion annually, dwarfing the…