Has the MLB lapped the NBA?
- Thread starter CrimsonTider
- Start date
murksiderock
Superstar
We've discussed this, baseball popularity is trending up again, the NBA is still bigger today but fan interest is stagnant. MLB has a chance to lap them within a decade.
Amazing what having a superteam in LA can do for a sport’s popularity
Gotta disagree with NYC
It's
Knicks>Yankees>Mets>Nets
...The question is for cities with both an NBA, and MLB team, which MLB team is more popular than the NBA team
VegetasHairline
Veteran
Unless you're in sports media or have a vested interested the only people who care about this are racist white dudes projecting their insecurities.
www.sportsmediawatch.com
When considering the demographic, and how TV ratings are measured....it's pointless in 2026
The Needle, or: "How Leagues Learned to Stop Worrying and Shrug the Ratings"
A look at how and why sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and NASCAR are increasingly shrugging off ratings declines.
www.sportsmediawatch.com
When considering the demographic, and how TV ratings are measured....it's pointless in 2026
When you factor in the international audience, it's not even close. The NBA dwarfs MLB.
murksiderock
Superstar
•Yankees more popular than every NY team besides (arguably) the Knicks;
•Dodgers more popular than every LA team besides (arguably) the Lakers;
•Cubs are more popular than the Bulls;
•Astros are more popular than the Rockets;
•Giants are more popular than the Warriors;
•Nationals are more popular than the Wizards;
•Braves are more popular than the Hawks;
•Phillies are more popular than the Sixers;
•Red Sox more popular than the Celtics;
•Tigers more popular than the Pistons;
•Twins more popular than the Timberwolves;
•Rockies of equal popularity to the Nuggets;
•Cardinals most popular team in St Louis;
•Reds most popular team in Cincinnati;
•Brewers more popular than Bucks;
MLB is popular as fukk in most of its local markets, this isnt news. The difference is that it doesn't have the crossover appeal the NBA has, though that could change. The only cities where both MLB and NBA are, that NBA team is more popular, are Sacramento (who currently have the A's); Phoenix, Dallas, Toronto, and Miami.
Every other market that has both, the MLB team is more popular or the MLB and NBA team are equally popular.
•Dodgers more popular than every LA team besides (arguably) the Lakers;
•Cubs are more popular than the Bulls;
•Astros are more popular than the Rockets;
•Giants are more popular than the Warriors;
•Nationals are more popular than the Wizards;
•Braves are more popular than the Hawks;
•Phillies are more popular than the Sixers;
•Red Sox more popular than the Celtics;
•Tigers more popular than the Pistons;
•Twins more popular than the Timberwolves;
•Rockies of equal popularity to the Nuggets;
•Cardinals most popular team in St Louis;
•Reds most popular team in Cincinnati;
•Brewers more popular than Bucks;
MLB is popular as fukk in most of its local markets, this isnt news. The difference is that it doesn't have the crossover appeal the NBA has, though that could change. The only cities where both MLB and NBA are, that NBA team is more popular, are Sacramento (who currently have the A's); Phoenix, Dallas, Toronto, and Miami.
Every other market that has both, the MLB team is more popular or the MLB and NBA team are equally popular.
The dodgers are more popular than the Lakers in LA. It’s hard to see it if you’re not Latino but it’s true. It’s neck and neck but it’s really Dodger town they were just average for like two generations.
Dodgers and Braves I can see.... being more popular than the Lakers and Hawks
I'm in Denver...
The Av's>>>Rockies
Overall....ratings without demographic is pointless
TV viewership by league isn't equal without factoring in demographic, and $ value....metrics that most of the public don't have access to.
Then factoring in consumption, players (NBA being a more star-driven league)....team popularity doesn't matter to business stakeholders
Houston a football city at its core
Astros could be over Rockets because of recent success but long term the city shifts to whichever is doing better at the time
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
it's not Knicks over Yankees. It just happens to be the team that every other fanbase doesn't feel they need to split
The Knicks don't fight for fans with the Nets. They fight for fans with every other team.
I just enjoy the discourse in MLB more. When players get talked about, it's usually discussing their game, how it stacks up to previous legends (without turning it into a legacy discussion). Even when you don't see a team except for when they play yours, for that series you're locked into what the other team has and who you gotta look out for.
murksiderock
Superstar
It's definitely close, I'd buy the lean either way, but it's impossible to be in LA and not see how insanely popular the Dodgers are.
.................
I forgot to add that the Padres are the most popular team in San Diego...
So if you take the 27 MLB markets, the MLB is the outright or arguably favorite team in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, St Louis, and Cincinnati. That's 5 of 27 markets.
In an additional 12 markets, MLB is more popular than the NBA team. So 17 of its 27 markets mf's love the baseball team more than the basketball team. They keep growing the game, they have a chance to jump the NBA within a decade. NBA isn't growing the game.
