How Wimbledon Compares to the Most Watched Sporting Events

24/7 insights

• • Wimbledon is the most important tennis event every year.
  • Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world.
  • The second most watched event is a surprise.
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For billions of television viewers and sports fans worldwide, some events are simply unmissable. Not all sports are, but some events capture and hold the world’s attention, especially those that take place every four years. The sport for which this is true is the World Cup, perhaps the most dominant sporting event in the world. However, the World Cup is not the only event that the world comes together to watch, as there are many other sports that are loved worldwide, including tennis.

For tennis fans, there is no bigger major than Wimbledon. Wimbledon is one of the four biggest tennis events held annually and is by far the most watched event in the sport, even surpassing the French, US and Australian Opens. According to data compiled by Road tripsWimbledon is one of the top ten most watched sporting events in the world, but it’s fascinating to see how it compares to other major sporting events.

Why is this important?

The biggest names in tennis are all chasing that elusive Wimbledon victory.

With millions and even billions of viewers watching these events each year, they attract hundreds of millions of dollars in sponsorship revenue. This revenue comes from brands we cover regularly on this site, such as Coca-Cola, Toyota, Nike, Adidas, and many more. These sponsorships advertise on networks owned by companies like Xfinity and Disney, two other brands that 24/7 Wall Street also covers regularly.

12. Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is the most famous horse race in the world.

• Number of viewers: 16.6 million

As the largest event in horse racing, the Kentucky Derby is a short, 1.25-quarter-mile race that takes place over an entire weekend. Each Kentucky Derby sees celebrities and corporate titans alike flock to the legendary Churchill Downs racetrack to watch a horse gallop toward the sport’s top prize. More than 16.6 million people tuned in in 2023, with an additional 371,000 watching via streaming on NBC’s Peacock app.

11. Rugby World Cup

Rugby has legions of fans all over the world.

• Number of viewers: 17 million

The biggest sporting event in Rugby is the World Cup of Rugby, which, like the World Cup of Football, is held every four years. During the six-week tournament, twenty teams compete until only one team remains. The 2023 tournament, with a final between France and New Zealand, attracted a peak of 17 million viewers. There is no doubt that rugby is a growing sport, and these numbers will only increase in the future.

10. NBA Finals

The NBA Finals can draw millions of viewers each season.

• Number of viewers: 17.8 million

The biggest event for basketball fans in the world, the NBA Finals, sees the top two teams in the league play for the championship. A best-of-seven series, 30 teams battle it out for 16 playoff spots, and only two teams reach the Finals. The NBA announced that the 2023 NBA Playoffs had the league’s best television ratings in five years with 17.8 million viewers. That’s on top of the 8 billion views the NBA’s social platforms generated.

9. Wimbledon

Winning Wimbledon can be a turning point in any tennis player’s career.

• Number of viewers: 25.6 million

Wimbledon is undoubtedly the most famous tennis tournament in the world and the most important of the four major tennis tournaments. In 2023, the event was watched by 25.6 million people. This is on top of the record 532,000 spectators who watched the event, an increase from 2022. The All England Club will capture the attention of the sporting world for two weeks, as players follow the event’s all-white dress code on their way to victory.

8. Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the most popular sporting event in the United States.

• Number of viewers: 115.1 million

In America, no sporting event is more popular than the Super Bowl, which will almost certainly be the most-watched sporting event of the year. In 2023, Super Bowl LVII drew more than 115.1 million viewers, including streaming views, making it the most-watched Super Bowl ever. One notable aspect of Super Bowl viewership is that the game’s largest audience comes during halftime, when even non-football fans tune in to watch the world’s most-watched concert.

7. UEFA Champions League Final

Manchester City are one of the most recent finalists of the UEFA Champions League.

• Number of viewers: 450 million

Football is the world’s most popular sport, especially in Europe, where the UEFA Champions League final takes place. With Europe’s best teams battling it out for the title, the 2023 tournament attracted more than 450 million viewers, with English giants Manchester FC emerging victorious. UEFA even reported that there were a further 3 billion views on social media of short clips from the matches.

6. Winter Games

Mikaela Shiffrin is a popular name for the US at the Winter Olympics.

• Number of viewers: 2 billion

While the Summer Games tend to be slightly more popular, the Winter Olympics still draw a large audience. Held every four years and lasting 17 days, the Games reach 2 billion people worldwide. In other words, a quarter of the world’s population watched the 2022 Winter Games, which is more than the 2018 Winter Games. The numbers for 2026 look promising.

5. Summer Games

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo attracted more than 2 billion television viewers.

• Number of viewers: 2 billion

As one of the most important sporting events in the world, the Summer Olympics are always on track to be among the most watched events. The event has a global reach of over 2 billion viewers, enough to rank fifth on the list of most watched sporting events. While the numbers for the Paris 2024 Games are not yet known, it is certain that the numbers will be in the billions.

4. Women’s World Championship

Women’s football is growing significantly in popularity and television ratings.

• Number of viewers: 2 billion

While the men’s World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world, the women’s World Cup is not far behind. With 2 billion viewers, the 2023 Women’s World Cup set a record audience, compared to 1.12 billion who watched the tournament in 2019. A whopping 53.9 million people tuned in to watch the match between China and England, while 11.15 million tuned in to watch Australia and England.

3. Cricket World Cup

Outside the United States, cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world.

• Number of viewers: 2.6 billion

One of the most popular sports in the world, the Cricket World Cup is the sport’s biggest event, drawing huge crowds, especially outside the United States. The tournament, which features ten teams and lasts just over six weeks, takes place every four years. In 2019, England hosted the Cricket World Cup, with a record 2.6 billion people watching. The 2023 event is also set to set records, with 43 million people watching the match between New Zealand and India.

2. Tour de France

Surprisingly enough, the Tour de France ranks second on the list of most-watched sporting events.

• Number of viewers: 3.5 billion

The Tour de France, the most-watched cycling event each year, surprisingly comes in second place. The 2023 event attracted large audiences worldwide, especially in France, where 42.5 million viewers watched the race. Total viewership peaked during stage 16 (of 21) when 8.7 million people in France watched simultaneously.

1. Football World Cup

More than 5 billion people watched the last World Cup, where Messi lifted the trophy.

• Number of viewers: 5 billion

According to Roadtrips, the World Cup is unsurprisingly the most-watched sporting event in the world. With 5 billion viewers in 2022, more than 1.5 billion people are expected to have watched the final between Argentina and France alone. What’s more, the match is becoming increasingly popular on social media, with more than 6 billion interactions taking place during the tournament. The world will be watching to see if the 2026 World Cup can break that record.

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