Ipsos poll looks at most popular sports among Americans
Ipsos poll looks at most popular sports among Americans
Da'shawn Hand #91 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates with teammate Del'shawn Phillips #53 after a fumble recovery.Barry Werner, List WireTue, Jul 7, 2026·1 min read
The folks at Ipsos chose a perfect time to get a handle on how Americans feel about different sports.
They polled more than 1,000 people during the ongoing World Cup and asked them "Do you consider yourself to be a fan of the following sports?"
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The answers could be considered somewhat surprising once you get below the NFL. Has baseball recouped and is now the second-most popular sport in the USA? That won't make NBA commissioner Adam Silver happy.
A look at the poll results:
15. Pickleball
Chefs Jonah Goldman and Spike Mendelsohn compete during the Celebrity Chefs Pickleball Tournament as part of the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One at City Pickle on October 13, 2023 in New York City.
Fan of sport: 5%
14. F1 or international auto racing
Haas F1 Team driver Oliver Bearman (87) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Fan of sport: 12%
13. NASCAR, IndyCar
NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (19) reacts in victory lane after winning the eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Fan of sport: 13%
12. International soccer
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal with Enzo Fernandez and teammates.
Fan of sport: 14%
11. U.S. soccer
Crew forward Diego Rossi kisses the Eastern Conference trophy after their win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
Fan of sport: 16%
t-10. Tennis
Naomi Osaka of Japan returns a shot during her match against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
Fan of sport: 15%
t-10. Golf (PGA, LPGA, LIV)
Chris Gotterup holds hte champions trophy after winning the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament.
t-10. MMA
An official holds aUFC world championship belt during UFC Freedom 250 at White House South Lawn.
t-10. Women's basketball (NCAA, WNBA)
Indiana Fever forward Makayla Timpson (21), Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) watch a free throw.
6. Boxing
Dennis Thompson (L) throws a punch at Edwin Rodriguez (R) during their Super-Bantamweight bout at Barclays Center on June 27, 2026 in New York City.
Fan of sport: 19%
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5. Hockey
St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (30) congratulates goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins at Enterprise Center.
Fan of sport: 21%
4. College football
Dante Moore #5 of the Oregon Ducks waits for the snap in the first quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Fan of sport: 33%
3. Men's basketball (NCAA, NBA)
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives against Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Fan of sport: 37%
2. Baseball
New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the dugout during the ninth inning at Truist Park.
Fan of sport: 40%
1. NFL
Hunter Henry #85 of the New England Patriots fails to score a two-point conversion as Coby Bryant #8, Josh Jobe #29 and Drake Thomas #42 of the Seattle Seahawks defend during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.
