Key Takeaways
- The 2026 World Baseball Classic final drew nearly 10.8 million viewers on Fox, more than doubling the 2023 final’s 4.48 million
- MLB leads the NBA in casual fans (61% to 55%), avid fans (15% to 14%), and favorite league designation (9% to 7%), per 2025 SSRS Sports Poll data
- The NBA holds a commanding lead on social media, with more than six times MLB’s Instagram followers and roughly double its Google search volume
- The 2025 World Series averaged 15.7 million viewers, exceeding the NBA Finals’ seven-game average of 10.2 million
- MLB’s rule changes and global events like the WBC are reshaping the league’s momentum after years of declining cultural relevance
MLB’s Momentum Is Real, and the Numbers Back It Up
A new analysis from The Athletic examines whether Major League Baseball has overtaken the NBA as America’s second most popular professional sports league. The answer depends on the metric, but the trend line favors baseball.
MLB outpaced the NBA across multiple fan engagement categories in 2025 polling conducted by SSRS Sports Poll. Baseball led in casual fans (61% to 55%), avid fans (15% to 14%), and fans naming it their favorite league (9% to 7%). When SSRS asked fans monthly which sport they were most interested in, the NBA only led MLB during baseball’s four offseason months.
Chad Menefee, executive vice president of strategic intelligence at SSRS, told The Athletic that by that measure, “MLB is pretty clearly ahead of the NBA.”
Where the NBA Still Dominates
The NBA’s advantage on social media remains significant. League accounts carry more than six times MLB’s Instagram following, nearly four times its X (Twitter) following, and more than three times its YouTube subscriber base. Google Trends data shows roughly twice as many searches for “NBA” as “MLB” in a typical year.
NBA players also hold a cultural edge. While SSRS respondents were 4% more likely to name an MLB team as their favorite, they were 4% more likely to name an NBA player as their favorite athlete. The NBA’s international footprint, built over decades of deliberate expansion, remains far ahead of the other four major U.S. leagues.
Scott Rosner, who leads Columbia University’s sports management program, noted that the NBA’s global position is the result of long-term strategy. He told The Athletic the league is “light years ahead” of competitors internationally.
Viewership Tells a Split Story
NBA regular-season ratings are up 16% year over year, averaging 1.8 million viewers across NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon Prime Video. MLB’s 2025 national broadcasts averaged 1.8 million on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and 2.04 million on Fox.
The gap widens at the championship level. The 2025 World Series Game 7 drew 25.98 million viewers. The NBA Finals Game 7 between the Thunder and Pacers drew 16.61 million. The World Series has outpaced the Finals in average viewership for consecutive years, though market size and series length play a role. The NBA’s 2025 Finals featured its smallest-market matchup ever.
Why This Matters for Youth Sports
The popularity contest between MLB and the NBA is not just a media debate. It filters directly into youth participation trends, facility investment, sponsorship dollars, and programming decisions at the club and league level.
When a sport gains cultural momentum, youth operators see it in registration numbers, parent interest, and brand partner appetite. MLB’s rule changes, its investment in the World Baseball Classic, and the global visibility of players like Shohei Ohtani are creating tailwinds that youth baseball and softball organizations can leverage. Meanwhile, the NBA’s social media dominance and athlete-driven culture continue to drive youth basketball engagement, particularly among younger demographics.
For operators and investors watching the macro landscape, neither league is pulling away cleanly. David Carter, principal of the consultancy the Sports Business Group, told The Athletic that these comparisons are “interesting snapshots, but only snapshots.” The takeaway for youth sports: both pipelines remain strong, and the smart play is tracking where momentum shifts next.
Inspired by / Source: The Athletic, Stephen J. Nesbitt, Mike Vorkunov and Evan Drellich, March 26, 2026
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