The FINANCIAL — Over one-third (35%) of adults who follow at least one sport say professional football is their favorite sport, while just 14% say baseball is their favorite, according to Harris Interactive Inc.
The gap between the two sports has grown from last year, when 34% said pro football was their favorite while 16% said baseball was their favorite sport. This is the second largest gap between the two sports in the almost 30 years this survey has been conducted. The highest gap was in 2011, when it was 23 points as 36% said professional football was their favorite sport and 13% said baseball was their favorite.
Looking at how other sports fared, just over one in ten sports fans (11%) say college football is their favorite sport, while 7% say it is auto racing, 6% say men's professional basketball, 5% say hockey and 3% say it is men's college basketball. All other sports are favorites for 2% or less of sports fans, according to Harris Interactive Inc.
There are some fluctuations in favorites over time. Since this question was first asked in 1985, professional football has gone up 11 points, from 24% of sports fans saying it was their favorite sport then to 35% saying so now. Baseball, on the other hand, has gone down 9 points, from 23% in 1985 to 14% today. Hockey has gone up 3 points while men's tennis, men's college basketball and horse racing have all gone down 3 points.
When it comes to the top sports, different groups are more likely to cite them as favorites. Those who live in rural areas (44%), people with a child under 18 (42%), and Easterners (39%) are more likely to say professional football is their favorite sport, while those with a post graduate degree (24%), Echo Boomers (31%), and Liberals (31%) are less likely to do so. When it comes to baseball, Hispanics (19%), those with a household income of $100,000 or more (18%), and suburbanites (18%) are more likely to cite it as their favorite sport; African Americans (7%), those who live in rural areas (8%) and Echo Boomers (10%) are least likely to say baseball is their favorite.
Looking at college football, those in the South (17%), those with a post graduate degree (17%) and college graduates (16%) are more likely to say this is their favorite, while Easterners (4%), Hispanics (7%) and Democrats (8%) are least likely to say college football is their favorite sport, according to Harris Interactive Inc. When it comes to auto racing, it is more likely to be the favorite for those living in rural areas (12%), those in households with an income under $35,000 (12%), and those with a high school or less education (11%); auto racing is less likely to be the favorite for African Americans (1%), Hispanics (2%) and both post graduates and college graduates (3% each).
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