What is the most popular sport in the UK?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 23, 2026
The Top 5 Sports in the UK
- Football. Football is the most popular game played in the U.K. and follows a traditional league system which consists of more than one hundred teams. ...
- Cricket. Cricket is the national sport of the U.K. and became popular in the U.K. in the 17th century. ...
- Rugby. ...
- Badminton. ...
- Tennis.
What is the most popular sport in the UK 2020?
The most popular sports in Great Britain in 2020
- Football. Football is without a doubt one of the most popular sports in Great Britain. ...
- Tennis. Wimbledon is probably the most famous of all British tennis tournaments and has been a fixture in British sport since 1877. ...
- Cricket. ...
- Badminton. ...
- Rugby.
What is the most popular sport in Great Britain?
The most popular sport in Britain is football. The English Premier League is one of the most popular and dominating forces in football around the world and is home to some of the most famous and successful clubs.
Is fishing the most popular sport in the UK?
Fishing is now the UK's biggest participation sport and the sixth biggest sport overall, behind armchair sports such as football and rugby.
What is the most popular participation sport in the world?
11 best sports participation in the world
- Sports participation around the globe. Sports are popular for a number of reasons. ...
- Soccer. With an estimated 4 billion supporters, football, or soccer in the United States and Canada, is the most popular sport on the globe. ...
- Cricket. ...
- Tennis. ...
- Volleyball. ...
- Hockey. ...
- Table Tennis. ...
- Basketball.
How popular is angling in UK?
Angling dropped to 19th most popular sport in the UK, once number 1 participating sport is now topped by Exercise, movement and dance at number at number 6, Golf in 5th position, Equestrian at 9th, Bowls at 10th place.
Is NBA popular in UK?
But, if you're one of the people who've always thought basketball would never hold foot in Britain, you'll be surprised to learn the American sport is now more popular than cricket. Basketball has a popularity score of 32 percent while cricket follows at 29 percent.
Is f1 popular?
Formula One is experiencing its highest ratings ever in the U.S. Last season was the most viewed in U.S. broadcast history, with an average audience of 949,000 viewers per race.
Is cricket popular in the UK?
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the UK, generating an average of 505,000 searches per month, only behind Football.
How popular is soccer in England?
Football participation England 2016-2020
Football is not only the most popular sport to watch and spectate in the United Kingdom (UK) and England but also the most popular team sport to participate in, with roughly 1.9 million people in England playing at least twice per month in 2020.
Do Brits like cricket?
Originally Answered: What do British people think about cricket ? It is still a part of British traditions and yes, also almost every village. It is seen as posh sport but it is classy UK sport such as rugby and football. It is very easy to understand but very long to watch.
Is badminton popular in UK?
Badminton. Badminton is England's most popular racket sport.
Why cricket is not popular in UK?
This is so because major cricket matches are not available on a free-to-air basis in England. So, television viewership is lacking in this part of the world. This is one of the major reasons for the declining popularity of the game.
What sport is the hardest?
Boxing. The Sweet Science. That's the sport that demands the most from the athletes who compete in it. It's harder than football, harder than baseball, harder than basketball, harder than hockey or soccer or cycling or skiing or fishing or billiards or any other of the 60 sports we rated.
Is F1 bigger than football?
F1 is bigger than the NFL in terms of total fans. While you might expect F1 to be the far bigger sport due to its global audience, the NFL has high viewership numbers and generates more revenue compared to Formula 1. In terms of total global fans, F1 has 433 million, while the NFL has 410 million.
Which sport is the most watched?
Football – 3.5 Billion Followers
Football is supreme. Over half of the world's population tunes in once in every 4 years to watch the World Cup. Over 250 million individuals reportedly play soccer regularly. As a result, it is the most popular and widely followed sport in the world.
Is basketball the 2nd most popular sport UK?
According to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, for instance, basketball is now the second most popular sport played in the UK by 11- to 15-year-olds, with 32% of children playing (only football – with 54% – was more popular).
Why basketball is not popular in UK?
It's ironic to note that while London is a strategic location for the NBA to promote its brand and the sport of basketball throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia – there has seemingly just not been enough space for this game in the crowded landscape of British sport.
Do people play basketball in UK?
Over 1.2 million people are playing basketball regularly in England with 901,600 children, under the age of 16 playing weekly, according to figures released from Active Lives, with many of those youngsters taking part in programmes, organised by Basketball England and the many clubs and volunteers that make the sport ...
How many anglers are there in the UK?
Allowing for the fact that many (37%) take part in more than one type of angling, the total number of anglers in England and Wales is about 2.9 million.
How many anglers are there in the UK in 2020?
In 2019 to 2020 we sold 940,974 licences to 835,244 individual anglers.
How many anglers are there in the UK in 2019?
In 2018 to 2019 we sold 955,310 licences to 847,846 individual anglers. This generated £21,347,795 income.
What sports are popular UK?
Football is the most popular game played in the U.K. and follows a traditional league system which consists of more than one hundred teams.