Let the games begin… The NBA is winning big with fans abroad. StubHub said that as of a week before the season starts, ticket sales are 60% higher than this time last year. One factor: StubHub says this season’s expected to draw more than 2X the number of international fans — from 92 different countries — as last season did.
Viral roster: International stars like the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo have helped spotlight the sport outside the US.
All-star ratings: Last year’s NBA playoffs were the most watched in half a decade.
Stateside sports boom… American leagues are battling for a shot at becoming the MVP of global entertainment. The NFL is set to showcase three games in London and two in Germany this season, including a matchup between the Chiefs and the Dolphins. (They’re hot tickets: that Chiefs-Dolphins game sold out in 15 minutes.) Meanwhile, Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami is expected to rake in a record $200M in revenue next year after Argentine icon Lionel Messi joined the team in July.
International fans can lead to local wins... As live sports find new audiences through screens, not all fans are content with watching from home. Now they’re hoppin’ on flights, uniting in the stands, and supercharging live events. And it’s not just the major leagues that win when fans cross borders: T. Swift’s blockbuster “Eras” tour, which had some fans traveling halfway around the world, was expected to generate about $5B in the US alone (higher than the GDP of 50 countries).