NFL's global competition includes cricket
But there's another sport that is more popular than our most popular sport, too.
As noted by John Ourand of Puck, the Indian Premier League's final match generated 169 million viewers. That's more than 30 million more than the Super Bowl, and the most-watched cricket event in Indian history.
Advertisement
India's population exceeds 1.4 billion. That's more than three times the size of the United States. So there's greater saturation of the American market by American football.
Still, as strange as it sounds, there are bigger sporting events than the Super Bowl.
Ourand raises the question of whether it's time for cricket to make a dent in the American market. But the broader reality for the NFL is that there's plenty of work to do to take a dent out of other sports that currently generate far more interest beyond our borders.
If the NFL can pull it off, a billion-dollar business will become a trillion-dollar business.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
18 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Bengals, Nick Saban Connection Emerges in Stunning Suggestion
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The 2025 NFL season has begun with training camp and the Cincinnati Bengals will be an interesting team to watch. After missing the playoffs last season, there is a sense of urgency surrounding the franchise. Should the Bengals miss the playoffs once again this season, some major changes could come next. Zac Taylor, the team's head coach, is likely facing some pressure heading into this year. His job could very well be on the line. Joe Burrow played at an MVP level last season. That wasn't enough to lift Cincinnati into the playoffs. Moving forward, the team will have to figure out how to get back to being a Super Bowl contender like it was just a few short years ago. Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Taylor may not be on the "hot seat," but he isn't completely safe either. If the team comes up short of expectations, could the Bengals look to bring in a new head coach? Read more: Steelers' DK Metcalf Puts NFL on Notice With Bold Warning With that being said, who could the team look to replace Taylor with? A shocking suggestion has been made. That suggestion is none other than legendary college football head coach Nick Saban, who has started coming up in rumors about a potential return to coaching in the NFL. Nick Wright, a notable sports analyst, spoke out and revealed that he believes Cincinnati would be a potential destination for Saban. "I'll throw a different one at you that is same state, different team. If this coming year goes the way I think it might for Cincinnati, I think Nick Saban is an interesting idea there," Wright said. "Listen, got to coach up the defense, got to have someone to actually have as big of a voice in the organization as the owner, got to clean up some of the nonsense going in the years they deal with every year, again, most of which is owner-related. And let Joe and Jamar handle the offense. Almost offload the offense to them." He continued on, sharing his belief that Saban would want to join a team that can compete right away after taking over. "You handle the details, finding some of the edges in young players from the college game that you're very aware of their skillset, and coach up the defense. Because the only point that you made that I disagree with is, if I'm Nick Saban and I want to do this, I'm not that interested in a studs-to-the-top-down rebuild. I'm much more interested in, I've got three or four years. Let me see if I can have a contender immediately. I think the Bengals who, if they miss the playoffs again, probably will be looking for a new coach. I think they could be an attractive one." Read more: Cleveland Browns May Have Their Next Baker Mayfield Saban put together an elite college football coaching career. However, his two years in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins did not go well. He may not choose to return to coaching. But, if he does, he might have interest in heading back to the NFL and proving to himself that he can succeed at that level as well. In that scenario, the Bengals could be one of the best possible landing spots for Saban. For more Cincinnati Bengals and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
LOOK: DJ Chark makes Falcons training camp debut at Saturday's practice
The Atlanta Falcons added more offensive firepower over the weekend, officially signing wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. to their 90-man training camp roster on Saturday morning. Chark is expected to help fill in for Darnell Mooney, who will be out for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury. The 28-year-old is an experienced veteran with versatility to play outside or in the slot. In 2019, Chark recorded a career-high 1,008 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading to his first and only Pro Bowl appearance. Over seven NFL seasons, Chark has recorded 216 catches, 3,100 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns with four different teams. The former second-round pick has racked up at least 500 receiving yards in four of his seven years in the league. Chark made his camp debut on Saturday and was spotted wearing the No. 16 uniform. LOOK: DJ Chark Jr. makes camp debut wearing No. 16 The Falcons have not provided an official update on Mooney's injury, but the former Bears wideout left practice on Thursday after taking a hard fall. Mooney was a key part of the Falcons offense last season, recording 992 receiving yards in 16 games. In the meantime, Drake London and Kyle Pitts have been picking up the slack. London made an impressive one-handed grab on Saturday, while Pitts dominated the team's opening practice. This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: DJ Chark makes training camp debut on Saturday
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NFL training camp 2025 news, live updates: Shedeur Sanders throws dime of a TD in practice
[Top training camp stories | NFL team feeds | NFL training camp live blog] All 32 NFL teams have reported to training camp, and there's no shortage of intrigue and storylines so far. Shedeur Sanders threw a touchdown pass during Saturday's Cleveland Browns practice that got social media buzzing. Check out this dime to fellow rookie Luke Floriea out of Kent State: Sanders finished 8 of 11 with three touchdowns while working with the second team in red zone 11-on-11s and the third team in 7-on-7s, among other setups. Joe Flacco went 4 of 8, Kenny Pickett went 6 of 10 with two touchdowns, and Dillon Gabriel went 8 of 15 with a touchdown, per ESPN Cleveland. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] On Friday, Sanders was asked why he's not yet getting reps with the first team. "That's not my place to answer, to even be able to give the answer to that. I feel like it's not in my control, so I'm not even gonna have that in my thought process," Sanders said. Top NFL training camp stories Shemar Stewart agreed to a fully guaranteed deal with the Bengals on Friday, bringing to an end a months-long standoff over contract language with the 17th overall pick of April's draft. The $18.97 million is fully guaranteed, with a reported $10.4 million signing bonus. As part of the deal, Cincinnati reportedly softened language in the controversial clause that allowed the team to void Stewart's guaranteed money if he engaged in "detrimental" conduct. Now the Bengals turn their attention toward Trey Hendrickson, their other contract stalemate with a star pass rusher. The Raiders sent a clear message by releasing Christian Wilkins over a disagreement in his rehab after a foot injury: If you're not going to be playing for us, you're not going to be sticking around with us. Without a doubt, that's how this new regime under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek is planning to operate moving forward, refusing to hang onto what it views as roster-building errors from past regimes and also aiming to be aggressive in moving on from any mistakes it might commit in the future. Are we sure Aaron Rodgers will only be a Steeler for a year, if things go well? In response to a question from Rich Eisen about possibly keeping Rodgers around longer than the one year he's signed for, general manager Omar Khan said, "Obviously, we have to see how the season goes, but absolutely. He's a young 41, and we're obviously taking it year-by-year, and that's where we're at. But we're obviously not closing the door on anything." Interesting. NFL team feeds AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks NFL training camp live blog Follow along below as Yahoo Sports tracks all the news, rumors and updates from NFL training camps:
