World Cup Or Olympics

[bendix]

An American chappy was trying to tell me that he couldnt see what all the fuss was about the World Cup and insisted that the Olympics was a bigger sporting event.

Tosh and nonsense, I said. I can't imagine people getting up in the middle of the night to watch the Badminton preliminary rounds.

To me, people are genuinely passionate about the World Cup in just about every country in the world, irrespective of whether they are taking part of not. Thailand is a great example of that.

The Olympics are fine, but they just dont foster that extreme interest that the World Cup generates.

So what do people think? World Cup or Olympics?

[mrbojangles]

World Cup for me...100% but each to their own. Some people actually even like Tennis

[Insight]

No stats to back this one up, but I guess the argument is that Football holds the largest support base for a single sport, while Olymipics covers many sports which each have their own smaller (but still significant) support bases.

Therefore, during the World Cup you've got millions of people around the world sharing passion for the one competition, which IMO isn't going to grab the same type of atmosphere as the Olympics.

I fink.

[Khun Yak]

I think if its just about the sheer size of the event, the WC is outnumbering the olympics by far concerning the number of people who are really interested. Futhermore the WC attracts even countries which are not taking part, which I cant see for the Olympics. The Olympics are only covered in the respective local media if there is any compatriot involved. Otherwise they will only state the statistics if at all.

The WC is watched by roughly a billion people I guess. You could probably have this coverage for the Olympics as well, but its just "noone" interested compared to football.

Yesterdays Germany - Ecuador match was viewed by 700000 - 1000000 people on public screens in Berlin only. You would never have that for the olympic mens-100m-finals...

KY

[mrbojangles]

The WC is watched by roughly a billion people I guess. You could probably have this coverage for the Olympics as well, but its just "noone" interested compared to football.

Apparently, the opening game was watched by 1.5 billion alone and that wasn't even a big game

http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006...cup-opener.html

[chuchok]

I always believed that the three biggest sporting events in the World went in this order

Olympics

Soccer World Cup

Rugby World Cup

[rainman]

i can't tell you around the world, but for thais its surely the world cup. since they didn't even broadcast the torino winter olympics on TV...

[mrbojangles]

Soccer World Cup

Never heard of that one Chu.

Unless you mean the Football World Cup, which is run by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

[britmaveric]

It's obvious - World Cup.

[chuchok]

Soccer World Cup

Never heard of that one Chu.

Unless you mean the Football World Cup, which is run by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Solly.

Soccer/Football it's all the same to me.A bunch of pretty prima donnas prancing around like Marry Poppins......

[jackr]

Soccer World Cup

Never heard of that one Chu.

Unless you mean the Football World Cup, which is run by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Solly.

Soccer/Football it's all the same to me.A bunch of pretty prima donnas prancing around like Marry Poppins......

Peter Beardsley, pretty?

[mrbojangles]

Soccer World Cup

Never heard of that one Chu.

Unless you mean the Football World Cup, which is run by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Solly.

Soccer/Football it's all the same to me.A bunch of pretty prima donnas prancing around like Marry Poppins......

Peter Beardsley, pretty?

And don't forget Crouch, Neville, Campbell etc. and best but not least Rooney. Now he isn't pretty at all

[jackr]

Soccer World Cup

Never heard of that one Chu.

Unless you mean the Football World Cup, which is run by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Solly.

Soccer/Football it's all the same to me.A bunch of pretty prima donnas prancing around like Marry Poppins......

Peter Beardsley, pretty?

And don't forget Crouch, Neville, Campbell etc. and best but not least Rooney. Now he isn't pretty at all

Nah, he's not quite Warren Beatty is he bless his cotton socks:

[mittheimp]

I always believed that the three biggest sporting events in the World went in this order

Olympics

Soccer World Cup

Rugby World Cup

I presume thats a joke!! ? Rugby is the most popular sport in two countries in the world - Wales and New Zealand (OK maybe Western Samoa and Fiji??) who have a combined population of about 6 million!

The cricket world cup would have the interest of 1 billion in India, 120 million in Bangladesh, 150 million in Pakistan, the Caribbean - and apart from France all the other rugby nations follow cricket too - but i wouldnt put the cricket world cup as number 3 - just way ahead of the rugby!

[chuchok]

I always believed that the three biggest sporting events in the World went in this order

Olympics

Soccer World Cup

Rugby World Cup

I presume thats a joke!! ? Rugby is the most popular sport in two countries in the world - Wales and New Zealand (OK maybe Western Samoa and Fiji??) who have a combined population of about 6 million!

The cricket world cup would have the interest of 1 billion in India, 120 million in Bangladesh, 150 million in Pakistan, the Caribbean - and apart from France all the other rugby nations follow cricket too - but i wouldnt put the cricket world cup as number 3 - just way ahead of the rugby!

Silly mittheimp. I thought we were talking about which event was bigger.Has nothing to do with who plays the sport old boy.It's about TV audience.World wide TV audience.I wonder how many people watched the RWC final and the matches leading up to it.Can't see too many people doing the 100m hurdles, yet a few people watch the Olympics.....

Still, the football will always be bigger than rugby.Pity really.

[mittheimp]

I always believed that the three biggest sporting events in the World went in this order

Olympics

Soccer World Cup

Rugby World Cup

I presume thats a joke!! ? Rugby is the most popular sport in two countries in the world - Wales and New Zealand (OK maybe Western Samoa and Fiji??) who have a combined population of about 6 million!

The cricket world cup would have the interest of 1 billion in India, 120 million in Bangladesh, 150 million in Pakistan, the Caribbean - and apart from France all the other rugby nations follow cricket too - but i wouldnt put the cricket world cup as number 3 - just way ahead of the rugby!

Silly mittheimp. I thought we were talking about which event was bigger.Has nothing to do with who plays the sport old boy.It's about TV audience.World wide TV audience.I wonder how many people watched the RWC final and the matches leading up to it.Can't see too many people doing the 100m hurdles, yet a few people watch the Olympics.....

Still, the football will always be bigger than rugby.Pity really.

Read my message again, slowly and carefully! You will see I use the word 'follow' not 'play'.

The popularity of sport is a good indicator of who is going to watch it on TV! On a global scale not many people will have watched the rugby world cup - coz rugby is played and followed in very few countries! You may not like this fact - but it is true!

[Old Croc]

I understand the biggest spectator sport in the world, based on numbers of people actually watching the event, is Le Tour (De France).

It's estimated something like 11 million spectators line the course during the event. The television audience is in the billions.

[mittheimp]

You have to be very skeptical of the global TV audiences often given out - this often is just the number of people who have access to the event (so for the UK you count 65 million) not the actual amount of people who watched it - which is almost impossible to accurately figure out!

[BengaliSlug]

I understand the biggest spectator sport in the world, based on numbers of people actually watching the event, is Le Tour (De France).

It's estimated something like 11 million spectators line the course during the event. The television audience is in the billions.

Mr Croc

I read newspaper here. 847 matches and 19 million people have attended tournament before finals 32 (add maybe 3 million for matches in german). Tournament I think is whole not just finals 32.

And 1.4 billion to watch final on television match maybe.

[redrus]

######in daft question, have a word................

redrus

[nikster]

World Cup.

I am going with the Economist here (which has made the relevant Article premium content so no link).

The World Cup is not only watched by more people, it's also much less politicized. The big powers in the world always do well in the Olympics in part because they "make" athletes to make their country look good. USA, Russia, China - all big in the Olympics. Just look how China creates athletes that will win them the Olympics next time around.

This doesn't work with football. You can't dictate or centrally plan a good football team. It doesn't work because football is about creativity and team spirit. Argentina is a world power, and so is Brazil, USA and Russia are usually pretty bad and China, despite their efforts is nowhere to be seen.

If there was an Emotion-O-Meter, the Olympics, cute as they are, would score zero, while Football is a clear 10 - at least for those countries that care.

I really pity the American team - they are all good footballers and good fighters, but no one in their own country cares! It must be devastating for them.

I like the Olympics - but the World Cup is leaps and bounds more relevant. Even Australia is catching on this time around!

OOooop England starts, gotta go!!

[jackr]

World Cup.

I am going with the Economist here (which has made the relevant Article premium content so no link).

The World Cup is not only watched by more people, it's also much less politicized. The big powers in the world always do well in the Olympics in part because they "make" athletes to make their country look good. USA, Russia, China - all big in the Olympics. Just look how China creates athletes that will win them the Olympics next time around.

This doesn't work with football. You can't dictate or centrally plan a good football team. It doesn't work because football is about creativity and team spirit. Argentina is a world power, and so is Brazil, USA and Russia are usually pretty bad and China, despite their efforts is nowhere to be seen.

If there was an Emotion-O-Meter, the Olympics, cute as they are, would score zero, while Football is a clear 10 - at least for those countries that care.

I really pity the American team - they are all good footballers and good fighters, but no one in their own country cares! It must be devastating for them.

I like the Olympics - but the World Cup is leaps and bounds more relevant. Even Australia is catching on this time around!

OOooop England starts, gotta go!!

Good post.

Yep, the Yanks don't care but who gives a smeg? I think they washed their hands of football when they washed their hands of The Empire.

[dave111223]

Superbowl XXXII drew 90 million viewers (American Football final game).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XX...d_entertainment

Also see this site, with a list of most popular sports (not sure if its accurate):

http://www.historyofsports.info/popular_sports.html

[Insight]

Superbowl XXXII drew 90 million viewers (American Football final game).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XX...d_entertainment

It'd be half that if you dropped those all-important Roman numerals...

[mittheimp]

Superbowl XXXII drew 90 million viewers (American Football final game).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XX...d_entertainment

Also see this site, with a list of most popular sports (not sure if its accurate):

http://www.historyofsports.info/popular_sports.html

not very accurate!

[chuchok]

I always believed that the three biggest sporting events in the World went in this order

Olympics

Soccer World Cup

Rugby World Cup

I presume thats a joke!! ? Rugby is the most popular sport in two countries in the world - Wales and New Zealand (OK maybe Western Samoa and Fiji??) who have a combined population of about 6 million!

The cricket world cup would have the interest of 1 billion in India, 120 million in Bangladesh, 150 million in Pakistan, the Caribbean - and apart from France all the other rugby nations follow cricket too - but i wouldnt put the cricket world cup as number 3 - just way ahead of the rugby!

Silly mittheimp. I thought we were talking about which event was bigger.Has nothing to do with who plays the sport old boy.It's about TV audience.World wide TV audience.I wonder how many people watched the RWC final and the matches leading up to it.Can't see too many people doing the 100m hurdles, yet a few people watch the Olympics.....

Still, the football will always be bigger than rugby.Pity really.

Read my message again, slowly and carefully! You will see I use the word 'follow' not 'play'.

The popularity of sport is a good indicator of who is going to watch it on TV! On a global scale not many people will have watched the rugby world cup - coz rugby is played and followed in very few countries! You may not like this fact - but it is true!

You might just find that many people "follow" the RWC when it is on.many of these people would never normally "follow" or "play" the game.

As for not many people watching the RWC....Def, not as big as you "prima donna" game, but it seems that you are the one that gives a root,'cause I don't.

Thanks for pointing out that soccer was played by more nations,never would have guessed that.

[Old Croc]

I understand the biggest spectator sport in the world, based on numbers of people actually watching the event, is Le Tour (De France).

It's estimated something like 11 million spectators line the course during the event. The television audience is in the billions.

Mr Croc

I read newspaper here. 847 matches and 19 million people have attended tournament before finals 32 (add maybe 3 million for matches in german). Tournament I think is whole not just finals 32.

And 1.4 billion to watch final on television match maybe.

Mr Slug

Yes 847 matches over 3 or 4 years will probably attract a large amount of spectators in total.

Le Tour is but one event and I stand by my assertion it has the largest amount of spectators for any one event.

If one were to count the spectators in lead up events from which team riders are selected for the big one it would exceed the figures you quote above.

Keep your head above water Bengali!