Pro football is favorite sport for Americans, according to Harris poll
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Here’s yet another reason why Los Angeles should have a pro football team.
According to data from the Harris Poll, nearly three in 10 people who follow at least one sport said football is their favorite sport, making football the most popular sport in America.
Football received 31% of the votes while the next most popular sport, baseball, received 17%. College football was listed as the favorite sport of 12% of Americans, auto racing 7% and men’s pro basketball 6%.
Women’s pro basketball and women’s college basketball were not listed as the favorite sports of any fans.
FAVORITE SPORTS AMONG U.S. FANS | ||||||
SPORT | ‘10 | ‘09 | ‘08 | ‘98 | ‘85 | % CHANGE |
Pro football | 31% | 35% | 31% | 26% | 24% | 7% |
Baseball | 17% | 16% | 16% | 18% | 23% | -6% |
College football | 12% | 12% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 2% |
Auto racing | 7% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 2% |
Men’s pro basketball | 6% | 5% | 6% | 13% | 6% | 0% |
Hockey | 5% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
Men’s soccer | 4% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 1% |
Men’s college basketball | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 6% | -2% |
Men’s golf | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | -1% |
Track & field | 2% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 0% |
Bowling | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% | -1% |
Men’s tennis | 2% | 1% | 1% | 4% | 5% | -3% |
Boxing | 1% | 2% | 2% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Horse racing | 1% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 4% | -3% |
Women’s tennis | 1% | 1% | 1% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Swimming | 1% | 1% | 2% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Women’s pro basketball | 0% | * | * | * | N/A | N/A |
Women’s soccer | * | * | * | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Women’s college basketball | 0% | * | * | 1% | N/A | N/A |
Women’s golf | * | * | * | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Not sure | 3% | 2% | 1% | 1% | * | N/A |
-- Melissa Rohlin
