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Major league sport

NBA Data from YouGov Global Fan Profiles reveals that the reach of the NBA is truly astronomical. In the Philippines over 60% of the population indicate a high level of interest in the marquee basketball competition. Next on the list is China (38%), closely followed by Canada (30%), whose Toronto Raptors are the only non-American team in the NBA. Other markets tested appear to have very strong NBA interest too. Only in Australia (19%), which has the widest time zone difference with the US, do numbers dip below 20%. That’s nevertheless very healthy.

This year, we also looked at the global reach of the NHL. As some parts of the world begin to emerge from the clutches of pandemic restrictions and as the league starts the process of returning to normal, YouGov took a closer look at team fandom across those international markets. There’s no denying the love of hockey in parts of Europe. Once upon a time, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly mused publicly about a permanent presence across the Atlantic. Of course, that never came to be, but the league has hosted games in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden in recent years.