- Spoiler alert: dog mushing and American football, respectively, take the cake here...
There is no denying that both playing – and watching – sports are two of the most beloved pastimes enjoyed by millions of Americans throughout the United States. And, with the country playing host to so many major leagues and competitions – which are played throughout the year – there is no surprise that sports are gaining more and more participants, and spectators, as time goes by.
The Most Popular Sports in the US
With regard to watching sport, recent statistics show that there are certain sports that lead the way when it comes to viewership within the nation as a whole – with the viewing figures broken down as below.
- American Football – 38.8%
- Basketball – 15.3%
- Baseball-Softball – 14.8%
- Soccer – 8.2%
- Ice Hockey – 3.8%
However, within each state these statistics are likely to look slightly different – as sports can be location-dependent. For example, in states such as California, Connecticut, Illinois and New Jersey, the most-loved sport is Baseball. Whereas, in places such as Colorado, Oregon and Utah, the sport that people tend to enjoy the most is Basketball.
Betting on the Most Popular Sports in the US
With millions of people across the nation enjoying both playing – and watching – their favorite sports, we are also seeing an ever-increasing number of individuals turn to sports betting.
And – with more and more legal online betting sites being established throughout the US – this certainly comes as no surprise. However, the rules and regulations do differ when it comes to each state – with some states still having not legalized online gambling. For states such as Alaska, though, online sports betting is not allowed, and those living in the state can check out the legal Alaska sports betting state information.
The Most Popular Sports in the state of Alaska
Sticking with Alaska – and the subject of sports – let’s take a closer look at which sports are the most popular in the state.
Sports such as American Football, Ice Hockey and Basketball remain firm favorites amongst large numbers of the American population, with there being so many major teams – from across each of these sports – originating from states around the country.
However, when it comes to the nation’s 49th state, Alaska, some might find it hard to believe that there are in fact no major professional sports teams in the state. Instead, Alaska plays home to only a handful of minor – and semi-professional – leagues and teams.
And, some may be surprised to hear what the most popular sports are in the state as they are certainly a little different compared to the biggest sports around the world.
Dog Mushing
Believe it or not, but dog mushing is actually one of the most popular – if not the most popular – spectator sport in Alaska. The sport utilizes dogs – typically Siberian Huskies – with the animals having to pull an individual on a sled.
And, when it comes to racing, the distances usually range between four to one-hundred miles in distance – with the maximum number of dogs allowed in each team ranging from four, six, eight, ten, and to even an unlimited number.
The biggest dog mushing race on the calendar is the Iditarod, which takes place around March each year, beginning in the city of Anchorage – which once played host to the ‘weird and wonderful’ World Beard and Moustache Championships.
Other Popular Sports in Alaska
There are also a number of other popular sports that the people of Alaska enjoy participating – and spectating – in, which include the following.
- Skiing
- Ice Hockey
- Baseball
As mentioned already, although there are no professional teams when it comes to hockey and baseball, Alaska does play home to the ice-hockey team Alaska Aces, as well as baseball outfits, the Anchorage Bucs and Anchorage Glacier Pilots.
And, the state can be forgiven for not having any professional outfits when it comes to such sports, with the population of the two biggest cities in the states being 298,695 (Anchorage) and 32,756 (Juneau).
The city of Anchorage is also gifted with multiple cross-country ski trails – with in excess of 100-miles worth of maintained trails – and hosts the ‘Tour of Anchorage’, which is a 50-kilometer race that takes place on a yearly basis.
In Conclusion
It will certainly come as no surprise that the majority of sports in the state of Alaska very-much take advantage of the heavy snowfall – which continues to fall across the state.
However, although it is the cold weather sports that tend to get most of the interest of Alaskans, more common sports such as hockey, baseball, basketball, and football still have a healthy number of spectators – with the state’s population tuning in on a regular basis to follow their beloved sport(s).