Unfortunately for the field hockey world, the National Hockey League isn’t all that popular in the USA.
Indeed, the NHL lags far behind the NFL in soccer, the NBA in basketball and the MLB in baseball.
Field hockey being a less accessible sport, it is logically less practiced, especially in the warmer states of the USA.
It’s rare for an Auston Matthews to emerge from the Arizona desert to become a field hockey star.
Still, this more limited accessibility to the sport doesn’t explain or forgive everything when it comes to the NHL’s popularity.
One of the NHL’s biggest problems is its very ordinary marketing.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman explains that the league does a very good job of advertising the sport, yet other leagues are gaining even more ground on the NHL.
The NFL, NBA and MLB are comfortably ahead of the NHL.
The NHL could even lose its 4th place in terms of sponsorship revenue to MLS.
MLS is very close to passing the NHL in sponsorship revenue
With how rapidly the league is growing and with the World Cup coming in 2026, we are close to seeing a very new-looking American sports landscape pic.twitter.com/XSB421VvVt
– MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) September 9, 2023
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You read that right, MLS soccer is now very close to overtaking the NHL in terms of sponsorship revenues.
In a way, this means that MLS is practically more popular than the NHL in the USA.
Lionel Messi’s arrival with Inter Miami has a lot to do with it, that’s for sure.
However, the fact remains that MLS has never stopped growing, and has really taken off in recent years.
With the 2026 World Cup to be held in North America, MLS will become an even bigger part of the American sporting landscape.
Meanwhile, Gary Bettman’s marketing recipe just doesn’t seem to be working.
But, we have a team in Arizona playing in a college arena! #Pathetic
Some would argue that the fact that many MLS soccer stadiums are larger than NHL amphitheaters plays a role in this increase in sponsorship revenues.
However, not all MLS stadiums are larger, and what’s more, the season is much shorter in terms of games in MLS than in the NHL.
In short, the Lionel Messi effect has really put the wind in the sails of MLS, which is now very close to overtaking the NHL in the United States.
On the move
– Summary of the week at the CH.
This week’s top Montreal Canadiens stories:
Trading the remaining bad contracts will be difficult for Kent Hughes.
-A scouting report for #Habs prospect Bogdan Konyushkov.
-Juraj Slafkovsky’s expectations.
-Players to watch at rookie camp.Andmoreβ¬οΈhttps://t.co/DyBE0fSyJT
– Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 10, 2023
– File to follow.
Penguins Wrap: Could Kessel Come Back?; Don’t Doubt Dubas https://t.co/UjEEPblzEX
– Dave Molinari (@MolinariPGH) September 10, 2023
– Bronze medal for Canada against the USA! This is the first medal in the history of the Canadian FIBA Men’s Team.
Celebrations take over for Canada π₯³#FIBAWC x #WinForCanada π¨π¦ pic.twitter.com/G1prqf8hSa
– FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 π (@FIBAWC) September 10, 2023
– What an incredible performance from Dillon Brooks.
TCL Player of the Game Dillon Brooks set a new points record in a medal game to tow third-place Canada to their first-ever medal π
π 39 PTS | 5 AST | 4 REB | 7 3PM | 42 EFF#FIBAWC x #WinForCanada π¨π¦ | #InspireGreatness pic.twitter.com/Og5wWPyHEG
– FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 π (@FIBAWC) September 10, 2023
– Indeed.
Amazing! https://t.co/joBVyJx5MT
– Georges Laraque (@GeorgesLaraque) September 10, 2023