The Super Bowl is the championship game associated with the National Football League. It happens every year on the second Sunday of February.
In 2022, Super Bowl LVI occurred at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. The game attracted 99.18 million viewers.
The most-watched Super Bowl occurred in 2015. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. That game drew 114.44 million viewers.
When it comes to football, is the Super Bowl the biggest sporting event in the world?
That depends on your definition of ‘football.’
Is the World Cup like the Super Bowl?
According to the Encyclopedia, the word ‘soccer’ acted as a nickname for football in the late 1800s. The game originated in England. Its American counterpart developed around that same time.
The formation of the Football Association in the early 20th century altered in 1945. They changed their name to the Soccer Football Association.
“Gridiron football” then became soccer in the U.S.
The game spread to countries like Canada, Ireland, and Australia. In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first-ever FIFA World Cup.
FIFA originated in 1904 when its founding members included European nations. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland – FIFA now includes 211 national associations.
Six regional confederations cover Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. There’s also the Caribbean and Oceania.
Less than 70,000 spectators watched the first World Cup in person. The 2022 tournament may draw 5 billion viewers from around the world.
The World Cup is, without a doubt, the biggest sports event worldwide.
How do the NFL playoffs compare to the World Cup?
NFL Playoffs and Sports Betting
In the NFL, 14 teams compete in the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl. The league breaks down into two conferences. There’s the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference.
Four teams comprise a division – and there are four divisions in each conference. Each division winner earns a playoff spot.
Two of those teams with the best records – one from each conference – get a “Bye” week. They also get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
In each conference, three wild card teams also win playoff berths. Last season, the league added one wild card team from each conference. (They also extended the regular season by adding a game to each team’s schedule.)
The competitive nature led to the most-watched divisional playoff game in five years. When the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 42-36, 43 million viewers tuned in.
In partnering with sports betting companies, that’s exactly what the league hoped for. More interest in NFL games attracts higher betting volume.
The American Gaming Association expected 46.6 million Americans to bet on NFL games in 2022. That’s not counting the billion of wagers placed through offshore sites.
All these factors help to create a competitive atmosphere among gambling companies. You’ll find fantastic welcome bonuses among the best overseas sportsbooks.
What about the revenue generated by either sport?
World Cup vs. Super Bowl Revenue
Analysts predicted 31.4 million Americans might bet $7.6 billion on Super Bowl LVI. The big game generated a record $485 million in ad revenue in the previous year.
In 2022, a 30-second commercial cost an average of $6.5 million. Consumer spending related to the Super Bowl may have generated about $14.6 billion.
NFL players who win the Super Bowl get awarded $150,000. That’s a $20,000 increase from before.
In 2018, the men’s World Cup included a $400 million prize pool. Of the $440 million prize pool for this year’s tournament, $72 million goes to the final game.
The winning team of the 2022 World Cup gets $44 million.
FIFA may generate $7.5 billion in revenue from this year’s tournament in Qatar. That’s more than a $1 billion increase in revenue from 2018 in Russia.
Revenue pours in from TV rights, marketing rights, and ticket sales. There’s also branding and licensing. Plus, there’s money spent on local businesses, including restaurants and hotel stays.
After spending a record $220 billion on hosting the World Cup, Qatar may also see a return in the billions.
In 2018, France won the $35 million prize after beating Croatia 4-2.
Who Will Win the Biggest Sports Event in the World?
The World Cup represents the biggest worldwide sports event. And it only seems to grow in size and scope.
A total of 13 teams played in the first World Cup in 1930. In 2022, the tournament comprises 32 teams. That number will increase to 48 in 2026.
Sixteen cities across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. will host next year’s World Cup tournament.
Who will win the biggest sports event in the world?