"What is the number one sport in the Big Four Sports Leagues? Baseball ranks tenth.

The Big Four Sports Leagues in the U.S. | Complete overview + deep insights! ⚾

1. National Football League | NFL (National Football League)

Status: America’s unquestioned "sports overlord"!

→ Commercial value: Annual revenue exceeds $18 billion (2023) | Super Bowl ad spots cost $7 million per 30 seconds!

→ Season: Every September to February | Highlight: Super Bowl (Top US TV ratings)!

️ Team structure:

✨ 32 teams → Divided into the American Football Conference (AFC) + National Football Conference (NFC)

✨ Divisions: Each conference splits into 4 divisions (East/West/North/South), 4 teams per division

✨ Playoffs: 14 teams qualify → Single-elimination format, very exciting!

Influence:

✅ America’s "national pastime" | Global reach less than NBA

✅ Cultural icon: Super Bowl = America’s "unofficial national holiday," halftime show rivals the Grammys!

✅ Top player salary: Patrick Mahomes’ contract worth $503 million over 10 years!

⚾ 2. Major League Baseball | MLB (Major League Baseball)

⚾ Status: North America’s "oldest professional league" (founded in 1876)

→ Commercial value: $10.8 billion annual revenue (2023) | Average attendance 28,000 (highest among Big Four)

Season: Marathon style! ⏳ March to October every year, 162 regular season games!

️ Team structure:

✨ 30 teams → Divided into the American League (AL) + National League (NL)

✨ Special rule: AL uses designated hitter (DH), NL pitchers must bat!

✨ Playoffs: 12 teams advance → World Series decides the champion️

Influence:

✅ Popular in US/Latin America/Japan | ⚾ Culture: hot dogs + beer + seventh-inning stretch

✅ Global stars: Shohei Ohtani’s record $70 million annual salary!

3. National Basketball Association | NBA (National Basketball Association)

Status: The world’s most commercially successful sports league!

→ Commercial value: $10 billion annual revenue (2023) | Over 20% from international markets

→ Season: October to June | Playoffs full of "Game 7" suspense!

️ Team structure:

✨ 30 teams → Divided into Eastern Conference + Western Conference

✨ Divisions: Each conference has 3 divisions (Atlantic/Central/Southeast; Northwest/Pacific/Southwest)

✨ Playoffs: 16 teams qualify → Best-of-seven series, Finals are highly prestigious!

Influence:

✅ Global superstars! Huge fan bases in China/Europe/Africa | Over 200 million social media followers!

✅ Star power: LeBron James and Curry’s personal brands worth more than their teams

✅ Cultural crossover: Sneaker culture + hip-hop music fusion

4. National Hockey League | NHL (National Hockey League)

Status: North America’s "ice hockey king" ❄️, Canada’s national sport!

→ Commercial value: $6 billion annual revenue (2023) | Main markets: North America + Northern Europe + Russia

→ Season: October to June | Playoffs nicknamed "Stanley Cup Wars"️

️ Team structure:

✨ 32 teams (Seattle Kraken added in 2023) → Divided into Eastern + Western Conferences

✨ Divisions: Each conference splits into 2 divisions (Metropolitan/Atlantic; Pacific/Central)

✨ Playoffs: 16 teams qualify → Best-of-seven, extremely physical battles!

Influence:

✅ Loyal North American fan base | Global growth limited (due to climate/facility requirements)

✅ Unique culture: Playoff tradition of "growing beards" | Fighting culture "legalized" (refs allow one-on-one fights!)

✅ Top salary: Connor McDavid earns $12.5 million annually, speed comparable to F1!️

Overall Big Four rankings (by commercial value):

1️⃣ NFL: Dominates by a wide margin, America’s "sports synonym"

2️⃣ MLB: Century-old wealth, solidly second

3️⃣ NBA: Global money magnet, may surpass MLB in future

4️⃣ NHL: Regionally strong, steady growth