Top 10 Most Watched Football Leagues Across the Globe

These competitions attract the largest crowds in stadiums and have the highest viewership.

Football is perhaps the most watched sport in the world, drawing large crowds to stadiums and even more through live broadcasts and streaming around the world. The sport is played in over 200 countries and is hugely popular. Some of the biggest leagues around the world draw huge crowds due to the quality of the players and teams.

Here is the ranking of the top 10 most-watched soccer leagues in the world in terms of stadiums, TV viewership and other streaming platforms:

10. Chinese Super League

The Chinese Super League has become part of the global conversation since rival clubs started offering huge contracts to lure big stars from Europe.

The stadium has an average attendance of 24,107, making it one of the busiest in Asia. The 2019 season was watched by more than 700 million viewers. The league features a total of 16 teams, featuring some of the best talent from Europe.

9. Eredivisie

The Eredivisie, the first league in the Netherlands, is known for its inclusive football philosophy and producing great young players.

Dutch Eredivisie matches have an average audience of 18,010 viewers, and the league also broadcasts in over 100 countries, so it gets a lot of viewership through broadcasts.

The match between Ajax and PSV Eindhoven in 2021 was watched by 1.46 million people. However, the average viewership is lower due to the less popular remaining teams.

8. Campeonato Brasileiro Série A

Brazil’s first league is the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. This league is very popular in Europe because it always produces great young players. The likes of Neymar and Vinicius Junior came to Europe from the league.

Palmeiras is the most successful club in the history of the competition. The league has an average attendance of 43,458 and a global audience of 1.4 million. Over 8 million fans attended matches in 2022.

7. Bundesliga

The Bundesliga is one of the most watched soccer leagues in the world due to its attacking style of play. The record winners of this competition are Bayern Munich. Their incredible run was brought to an end by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, who went unbeaten last season and won the league.

In addition to a global audience, the league boasts an average audience of 43,458, making it one of the most fan-supported leagues. It also has an average audience of 361,000 per game, with over 1.7 million households watching.

6. Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is the premier league of the United States. The league consists of 29 teams, divided into Eastern and Western Conferences based on the size of the country. Currently, the average stadium capacity is 21,310. Recently, it has attracted around 2 million viewers per game, making it one of the most watched soccer leagues in the world. From 2012 to 2021, the average attendance per league match was 285,000.

5. Serie A

This division of the Italian league system includes cult clubs such as AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. The league’s stadium attendance averages 24,700, and more than 2 million spectators have attended games featuring Cristiano Ronaldo. Juventus has won the league 36 times, while Inter Milan are the current champions of the competition.

4. Liga Apertura

Mexico’s first league is called Liga MX Apertura and is the strongest soccer league in North America. Its playing style is very similar to that of Spain and Brazil.

Club America is the record holder with 15 trophies and is also the defending champion of the competition. According to official information, the average attendance in the stadium is 25,557. The contest’s ratings have risen recently, with a total of 3.7 million households watching.

3. Ligue 1

Known for its imbalance in favor of Paris Saint-Germain’s financial power, Ligue 1 is one of the most watched soccer leagues in the world. However, prior to its takeover by wealthy owners, the league was a highly unpredictable competition. PSG has overtaken AS Saint-Étienne (10) as the most successful club with 12 league titles, followed by Olympique de Marseille with nine each.

PSG are the defending champions after winning last season. Their average stadium attendance is 22,484 and they attract 10.5 million spectators per game worldwide. Their ratings have risen significantly during Messi’s tenure.