Fall in the United States means children are back in school, leaves are dropping and temperatures across the country are getting colder. But, fall also means sports fans across the country are in pure bliss as nearly every major American sport is also “in season.”
In the past few weeks, pro football has geared up as teams enter the playoff chase, the race for the BCS in college football is now in full swing, NBA, NCAA basketball and hockey seasons have just begun, and the major league baseball season has ended with the World Series.
Americans certainly love their sports. But, which Americans most enjoy watching which sports?
To answer that question, we turn to the Esquire/NBC News national survey* conducted back in August.
As you can see depicted below, Americans say they most enjoy watching pro football, followed by major league baseball and then college football:
But, taking a closer look at the demographics, it’s interesting that Republicans tend to be much stronger college football fans than Democrats, while Democrats seem to enjoy watching pro basketball more than GOP’ers:
So, when kicking back with some friends this weekend, you’re not likely to have many problems if you’re tuning into a pro football game. But, best to keep in mind the party affiliation of your friends before turning on that college football showdown or NBA game.
* This national survey was conducted jointly by Public Opinion Strategies and Benenson Strategy Group; however, this analysis was written independently of Esquire Magazine, NBC News and of the Benenson Strategy Group.