Top 5 Biggest Sports Leagues in the World 2025|Ranked

Since time immemorial, human beings have played sports. Be it in its primal forms or today’s advanced versions. It was always a means of entertainment and fun for them. Over the years, sports have evolved from a mere tool of entertainment. It became a way of life, seamlessly blending with our daily routines. It became a career for the gifted and a product for consumers. A few sporting leagues in the world have the power to bring the world to a standstill. We will explore the biggest sports leagues in the world today.

Sports were pretty much taking place as standalone events as recently as the late 1800s. There was no structure to it worldwide, no uniformity in the game, and more importantly, no governing body. However, over the past century, governing bodies like FIFA and the NBA have popped up with the sole intention of making sports professional. Their contributions were massive as they took the sport into every nook and corner of the world.

With advancements in technology and broadcasting techniques, the world has shrunk significantly. A team situated in a city tens of thousands of miles away has avid fan bases everywhere. Thanks to the choice available to them, the fans can choose their product instead of having to pick the only available one. When the league system was introduced, it was massively lapped up by fans.

This greater interest from fans and sponsors alike has helped the leagues make millions of dollars/euros. Their brand value is recognisable all over the world as they have developed a devout fan base. With that in mind, let us take a look at the five biggest leagues in the world.

Factors Considered For Ranking

Global Following

Thanks to intensive broadcasting and outreach programs held by the teams, leagues are no longer a local affair. International audiences have never been more important than now. They not only bring in wealth, but they also become part of the story and identity of every club as they truly try to emerge as one large extended family.

Ambassadors

Every sport needs some recognisable faces to be the face of the leagues. Especially if these superstars come from different parts of the world, they will make it relatable to every person from that region. It truly is a global sport now, thanks to scouting networks that can unearth gems from any remote station.

Average viewership per match

With TV deals bringing in unprecedented levels of money, teams and leagues need to maintain a high average viewership. Besides, it is always important to keep the stadiumgoers happy first with the team’s performances. Once they are alright, the rest will fall into place, leading to high repeat value for the team.

Valuation

Today’s modern sports are much more than the affair on the field. It takes brand value, revenue, and appeal into account. Hence, valuation becomes a key judging metric as we try to rank the biggest sports leagues in the world. The leagues we included are some of the richest in the world. Let’s check out which are the top sports leagues in the world.

Top 5 Sports Leagues In The World

Which Is The World’s Biggest Sports League?

Keeping all the factors in mind, we made a list of the top 5 biggest sports leagues in the world. The league’s riches, global impact, and how they serve their sport are all considered as we roll the list.

National Football League

The NFL is often considered the peak of world sports by some, as it captures the American world and beyond. The league is the wealthiest sports league in the world by revenue. It also has some of the most valuable teams in the world. With 67,591 as the average attendance in the recent season, it holds the record for the highest there, too. The Super Bowl is among the most-watched sporting events in the world.

The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before getting its current title in 1922. It used end-of-season standings initially before adopting a playoff system and the NFL Championship Game to determine the Champions. The league’s domination was severely threatened by the American Football League since 1960. A Super Bowl game was conducted between the champions of both leagues to determine the ultimate winner.

As the AFL was taking lucrative broadcasting deals and the crème de crème players away from the NFL, the league acted decisively to merge both leagues. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in American and world sports in 1970. Today, the NFL is a confluence of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The league has 32 teams split into two conferences of four divisions each.

The Super Bowl continued to determine the end-of-season winner, and it grew into the biggest sporting event in the US. The league is home to the Dallas Cowboys, which is the most valuable sports team in the world. 26 of the 32 teams rank among the top 50 most valuable teams in the world. With finances not an issue anymore, the game grew without bounds and reached unprecedented levels of fame.

English Premier League

The Premier League is the highest level of the English league system and is often called the English Premier League. It is the most-watched sports league in the world. Its viewing numbers per game are said to rival those of the NFL’s. Some of the best and biggest teams in world football, like Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea, all play here.

The clubs from the First Division (England’s top flight since 1888) decided to break away from the English Football League and start a new league. They got together to distribute the mouth-watering TV money and became the founders of the FA Premier League in 1992. The ripple effects were massive. It led to the weakening of the Football League, with the FA gaining the most power over the sport in England. It also granted financial autonomy to all the clubs that joined.

The first season started in 1992 as three clubs joined from the second division, replacing the relegated clubs from the previous season. 22 teams took part in the inaugural edition of the Premier League. More games were telecast live on TV, and the money flowing meant top superstars flocked to England. This gave rise to the massive popularity of the league in the late 1990s through the early 2000s.

Once the league established itself, it became a top dog in its own right. The team limit was fixed to 20. Terms like Top Four and Top Six became the norm. The top clubs wanted to expand their horizons and tapped new markets like Asia and Africa by going on pre-season tours. In 2025, the Premier League is a well-oiled machine worth over €7,100 million. The clubs often win top honours in Europe, adding substance to fame as well.

Major League Baseball

The MLB is the oldest major professional sports league in the world. The league is the premier professional basketball competition in the world. The league we know today came about thanks to the merger of the National League (NL) and the American League (AL). The NL was formed in 1876, succeeding the National Association, which was formed by professional and amateur players who wanted to glorify the sport.

The early 1900s saw incredible competition between the NL and the AL as players jumped between both leagues, with poaching attempts becoming frequent. In 1903, the National Agreement allowed both leagues to co-exist and be part of a greater tournament. The tournament had a World Series as an end-of-season title decider. A few match-fixing scandals rocked the league till the 1920s before it grew in fame.

Baseball’s popularity as a whole rose in the 1920s as the league expanded and added new teams. The great depression and World War II took away a huge part of the good foundation built, but the league stood resiliently. Technological advancements helped the game find a footing again in the 1980s, and after the 2000s, it was all smooth sailing.

Currently, 30 teams compete in the league to compete in the prestigious World Series. In the recent season, the league saw a 22% jump in viewership, recording 1.74 million viewers per game.

National Basketball Association

The NBA is the premier professional basketball league in the world. It is also considered one of the best and biggest sports leagues in the world, thanks to its influence and iconic moments. Some of the players who played in the NBA went on to become international figures who were revered. Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and recently Stephen Curry all defined a generation in the sport.

The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, when the Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League. The merged body now considers BAA’s history as its own by recognising 1946 as its founding year. The league was in its nascent stage during the early 1950s, as it had 11 franchises located in a mix of large and small cities. A lot of teams relocated, and new teams were added as the gears shifted.

A major shaping factor came in the form of the American Basketball Association. The league started usurping stars of the NBA and even the referees. Rick Barry, who was the NBA’s top scorer, jumped ship to the ABA, leading to question marks over the NBA’s long-term future. A swift resolution was found in 1976 as the ABA was annexed into the NBA, allowing teams to spill over.

The 1980s marked the golden era of the league as it saw legends like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan drag their teams to dynasties. They were much more than players at that point. They were placed on the same pedestal as Hollywood superstars as they propelled the league’s fame into the stratosphere.

In 2025, it will be one of the richest and most viewed leagues in the world. 30 teams compete across two conferences for the prestigious NBA Championship. This era is the most open era in the history of the league, as teams are ending their title droughts spanning decades. It is helping them unlock new fan bases across the world.

Indian Premier League

Nothing can justify this league’s popularity more than its motto, “Where talent meets opportunity”. India is a country of 1.4 billion people, which is cricket crazy. So there is absolutely no shortage of talent, and all it needed was an opportunity. T20 cricket, the format in which IPL runs, was relatively new at the time of IPL’s inception. The 2007 T20 World Cup brought a craze to the format, giving birth to the IPL in 2008.

It was the brainchild of Lalit Modi and the BCCI, who wanted India to host the best T20 League and a first of its kind. 8 founding franchises representing different cities were established, and a player auction was held for the first time. The league opened with a swashbuckling performance from the Kolkata Knight Riders, who scored 222 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The fireworks that started in 2008 are still going brightly in 2025.

Fast forward 18 years, and the league has 10 teams and is the most exciting cricket league in the world. All the best cricketers from around the world take part in the league. It is a talent breeding ground for young and upcoming talents as well. The cricket calendar has a two-month window for IPL as international crickets take a pause, showcasing its importance. Although it is the shortest league in terms of length of all the leagues we’ve seen till now, it is one of the strongest money makers. The league is worth $12 billion, according to Cricketpanda.

It is also the second-richest sports league in the world by per-match value. Thanks to the $6.4 billion broadcasting rights deal with Viacom18 and Star Sports, each match of the IPL is valued at $13.4 million. It rakes in record-breaking viewership every year as the grand finale drew 400 million TV viewers according to ET Insights. With the sport’s popularity rising and the value of franchises going up year on year, IPL is expected to climb the ladder of the biggest leagues in the world soon.

Which Is The Top Sports League In The World?

Let’s get into the details of the top sports league in the world. Although there might not be a concrete answer to it, we will try to justify our choice and look at the world biggest sports league. We believe the English Premier League might be the top sports league in the world. The league is just over 30 years old, but its influence is light years ahead. It is often the stage for the top footballing superstars in the world. Clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City have a cult-like following not only in England but also in remote places on the planet.

It is the dream of every aspiring footballer to play in the famous league and compete for the biggest prizes. Right from broadcasting to stadium experiences to commentary, the drama unfolding in the league is nothing short of a movie. When fans get everything they want in one place, what more can they expect? So we believe, the Premier League’s global reach gives it an edge over the other leagues as the top sports league in the world.