How US sports is driving its expansion

NEW YORK. The major American team sports leagues have reached new heights in 2023 with their activities outside the USA and Canada. The NBA (basketball), NHL (ice hockey), NFL (football), MLB (baseball) and MLS (soccer) attracted more foreign viewers than ever before and are eager to continue on this winning path.

In the coming year, US leagues expect even stronger growth in overseas markets despite an increasingly shrinking global sports market. “We don’t disclose financial figures, but I can tell you that we have grown by about 15 percent annually over the past ten years. We expect our international business to grow by another 20 percent next year,” the NBA deputy admitted -Commissioner Mark Tatum gave the Reuters news agency a strategic insight.

The NBA has hosted games in Abu Dhabi and Mexico City in 2023 and will be present in Paris on January 11th. Since 1978, more than 210 NBA games have taken place outside North America, making the league a pioneer.

The NHL visited the southern hemisphere for the first time this year and played two sold-out preseason games in Melbourne in September. “It was ambitious because it was our first foray into a new market in Australia,” said Lynn White, NHL vice president of international affairs.

Last month, the Minnesota Wild and Vorarlberg’s Marco Rossi were guests in ice hockey-crazy Stockholm and played two regular-season games there. “In Sweden, which is an established and successful market for us, it was about achieving a higher scale. Both were a success in every respect,” emphasized White.

The NFL is also established in Europe. Last November, 100,167 spectators attended two games in Frankfurt. The Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs match on November 5th was watched by 9.6 million viewers on TV and online. Munich will host these games in 2024. “The numbers speak for themselves – the NFL has arrived in Germany,” said Alexander Steinforth, Managing Director of the NFL for Germany.

Major League Soccer has raised its global profile with the arrival of global star Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. The Argentine’s fame and global traction helped the league achieve record stadium attendance numbers, and sales of MLS subscriptions on Apple TV shot through the roof. “We are now not only part of the global conversation, but one of the biggest stories in world football,” said Commissioner Don Garber.