Basketball Tops the Sports Industry with a Projected 55% Growth by 2030
For decades, sports have been a multibillion-dollar industry, generating jaw-dropping revenue for top clubs, leagues, and players. In 2025, the global sports market is expected to hit nearly $80 billion in value, 4% more than last year and an impressive 25% jump from just three years ago, and most of the market revenue will come from American football and baseball. However, none of these sports can match basketball in terms of growth projections for the following years.
According to data presented by Betideas.com, global basketball revenues are set to surge by 55% by the end of the decade, marking the fastest growth in the sports industry. Here is how other sports rank on this list.
Basketball Set to Outgrow Baseball by 20%, Football by 30%, and Soccer by 4x
For years, basketball has been one of the largest revenue streams in the sports industry, trailing only soccer, American football, and baseball. Although this hasn’t changed, the market has faced several challenging years, marked by declining viewership of TV and streaming services, which has significantly cut into one of its biggest revenue streams, broadcasting rights. This was followed by drops in ticket and merchandise sales, causing market projections to turn negative. However, the latest Statista data show not only has this trend changed, but basketball has actually become the fastest-growing segment in the sports industry.
Several things explain this trend. For a start, basketball’s impressive growth projections are fueled by its global appeal, with the NBA pushing into new markets across Asia, Africa, and Europe through TV deals, training programs, and showcase games. At the same time, streaming, social media clips, and even esports-style content are making the game more accessible for younger fans. The Statista data show just how wide the gap is between basketball’s growth and that of other major sports.
In 2025, the global basketball market is expected to generate roughly $9.6 billion in revenue, slightly up from $9.3 billion last year. However, this figure is projected to soar by 55% and hit $14.8 billion by 2030, the highest five-year growth in the sports industry. Other major sports are far behind these rates. For example, baseball is set to grow by 35%, or 20% less than basketball in this period. The industry’s largest revenue stream, American football, is expected to see even smaller growth of 23% over the next five years. Statistics show soccer will grow four times slower than basketball, with just 14% revenue increase by 2030. Far behind, cricket follows with only 4.8%.
These impressive revenue projections will also help basketball grow its market share, increasing from 11% in 2025 to nearly 15% in 2030.
Basketball Viewership to Hit 1.3 Billion by 2030, More Than American Football, Soccer, and Baseball Combined
Besides leading revenue growth in the sports industry, basketball is expected to see a flood of new fans by the end of the decade, with its viewership growing faster than most other major sports.
According to Statista, more than 1.3 billion people will watch basketball by 2030, 14% more than this year. That means more people will watch basketball than soccer, American football, and baseball combined. Soccer’s global reach is set to grow by 10% and hit 759 million viewers by 2030. American football and baseball follow with 247 million and 85 million viewers and growth rates of 7% and 20%, respectively. Only cricket is close to basketball in terms of global fan base, with a projected 1.03 billion viewers by the end of the decade.