List of the most-watched football leagues in the world. They call football the beautiful game, but some leagues are more beautiful than others. There are many sides to football and many things that a beautiful league can bring with it. As a matter of fact, every football country wants to have a great league because it alone can make a resounding impact on the economy of that country, there will be a depth of talent to choose from, and the tactical aspect of the game will be greatly improved.

But nobody wants to watch an ugly league. For a league to bring in all the goodies that we have mentioned in the opening paragraph, then the quality of the game has to be great. Quality play will then attract spectators to the stadiums and millions more to watch on television. With this comes the big brands and marketing companies who want to take advantage of the crowds and the television audience’s attention. 

So who is getting it right? What are the countries with the most-watched leagues in the world as far as football is concerned? What leagues are the most-watched leagues in the world, standing as shining examples of what a football league should be? And what is the correct order of appearance? All these and more in the paragraphs below.

Top 10 Most Watched Football Leagues In The World 2020 

  • 1. English Premier League

With an average stadium attendance of 38,181 people, and a worldwide television audience numbering over4.7 billion people in 212 countries and territories the premier league is the biggest national football league. It is contested by 20 teams, among who are global football brands such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc. The winner gets about 52.2 million in prize money, but can also command additional TV rights money of over 200 million dollars. Every season, a total of 380 matches are played.

The English league is also one of the richest leagues in the world when you consider player salaries. Many players in England receive over 300,000 pounds every week. 

  • 2. Spanish La Liga

The average attendance of 26,983 people and a worldwide television audience of over 3 billion people bring the Spanish la Liga in the number 2 position. This league was established in 1929 and has continued with very little changes. The league is contested by 20 teams, including the greatest club of this century Real Madrid, as well as global giants Barcelona, and new powers Athletico Madrid.

The Spanish la Liga is arguably the most beautiful league in the world, with a free-flowing and aesthetic nature of the game. It naturally attracts some of the world’s most talented players who come to Spain to showcase what they can do on the pitch, and also for a chance at glory. If they are fortunate to play in the top clubs in Spain, then they could be on their way to becoming football stars, adored by followers of the game all over the world. 

  • 3. German Bundesliga

The top football league in Germany comes next on our list. The Bundesliga was founded in 1963 and is the most attended football league in the world. The average stadium attendance for the Bundesliga is 43,458, which is a figure that is much higher than that of the English premier league. The only thing is that the Bundesliga lacks the aggressive overseas marketing that other leagues have. Since there is very little overseas television marketing the league depends on cash monetary prizes. The winner goes home with 751.5 million Euros, while the second gets 608.3 million Euros, and the third-place gets 476.7 million Euros. 

Ligue 1

  • 4. French Ligue 1

Next on our list is the famous French Ligue 1. Among the leagues of the world, the French league 1 is an elder. It has been around for 82 years, having been established in 1938.  Average stadium attendance is 22,484, and it an effective marketing tool, with a global audience in every part of the world. The Arab media giants al Jazeera alone pays about 510 million Euros annually to league management, and there are also deals with many sports marketing brands across the world. 

Ligue 1

  • 5. Italian League

Next on our list of the most-watched league in the world is the Italian Serie a. This league was at one time the powerhouse of football in the world with legendary clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan. The league has a reputation of being extremely tactical in nature and producing legendary players who stay loyal to one football club throughout their careers, becoming folk heroes for the fans. The average stadium attendance for Serie A games currently stands at 24.7 thousand viewers, and several hundred million followers worldwide. 

  • 6. Brazilian League

Next, we have the league from the home of good football- Brazil. The league is officially known as the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, but most people just call it the Brasileiro. The people of Brazil love football and come out en masse to watch the games. An average stadium attendance of 43,458.  This is also the league that has produced the highest number of football superstars, including the undisputed king of football Pele.

  • 7. Dutch Eredivisie

The Eredivisie is the pinnacle of football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, making it 64 years old. The average stadium attendance for games in the Dutch Eredivisie is 18,010, and the season runs from August till May. The Dutch Eredivisie is an exciting league to watch, there is plenty of skill and technique on display. The biggest club in the Netherlands is Ajax Amsterdam but there are many other well-known clubs such as Feyenoord, king Willem ii, and Utrecht.

  • 8. Mexican Liga

Next on our list of the most-watched league in the world is the Mexican Liga which was founded in 1943. Mexico has very strong ties with Spain, and that shows in their style of football as well. They like to thrill the crowds with sublime skills on display. The Mexican league is considered to be the strongest league in North America. According to official figures there is an average stadium attendance of 25,557 people. Although there is no considerable overseas followership aside from America.

  • 9. Chinese Super League

For at least ten years there has been a deliberate and concerted effort to raise the standard of the game in China. This has involved big spending, bringing in accomplished coaches, and some of the most talented players. This effort has finally started paying off, as the Chinese league now ranks among one of the best attended, organized and marketed leagues in the world.

The Chinese league currently has an average stadium attendance of 24,107 people, which is the highest in the whole of Asia. The league has 16 teams competing for honors in a total of 240 games a season, and that is a good deal for players because there is considerably less physical stress involved. The Chinese league is also one of the highest paying leagues in the world, with some players earning as high as 700,000 dollars every week.

  • 10. Major League Soccer

Major league soccer is the name of the American football league. Football is called soccer in America. The major league soccer was founded in 1993 and is managed by the United States soccer federation. There are 24 clubs competing for honors in this league on a promotion and relegation basis, 21 of the teams being in the United States, while 3 of them being in Canada. Average stadium attendance for major league soccer currently stands at 21,310. The average salary for players stands at 373,094 dollars.

So those are the ten most-watched leagues in the world, but let us now look at some other very important leagues in the world in terms of numbers.

  • Portuguese Primera Liga

Coming in next on our list is the Portuguese Primera Liga which is the highest football league in Portugal. The Portuguese league is a combination of Spanish football and Brazilian Jogo bonito and was founded in 1934. There is plenty of skill for the show. One thing that continues to mar the Portuguese league is that young talents are taken out of the league too early. Anyways, the average stadium attendance for the Portuguese league stands at 11,639 people, but do not be deceived by that figure, some games have 5 times that number in attendance. Their figure is further boosted by television viewers in many countries especially South America and Africa.

  • Swiss Super League

The Swiss super league which is also known as the Raiffeisen super league comes in next on our list. This is the highest football league in the Swiss territory. The Swiss love football, and show their love by watching their league, encouraging their young talents, before they are stolen by the more powerful leagues in Europe. At present, the average stadium attendance stands at 11,181 people, but some games involving some of the bigger teams can attract 2 times that number. There is a very high television following in the Swiss super league, but that is mostly within Switzerland. There is no significant following of the Swiss league outside Switzerland, perhaps because there are not many foreign players playing in the Swiss league, and also because Swiss teams are not so highly respected, not actually contending for any major trophies in Europe.

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