Major Professional Sports Leagues In The United States And Canada
The major professional sports leagues, or simply major leagues, in the United States (US) and Canada are the highest professional competitions of team sports in the two countries. Although individual sports such as golf, tennis, and auto racing are also very popular, the term is usually limited to team sports.
The term "major league" was first used in 1921 in reference to Major League Baseball (MLB), the top level of professional American baseball. Today, the major northern North America professional team sports leagues are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL). Other notable leagues include the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Arena Football League, Major League Lacrosse, the National Lacrosse League, Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Women's National Basketball Association.
The first four leagues are also commonly referred to as the Big Four. Each of these is the richest professional club competition in its sport worldwide. The best players can become cultural icons in both countries and elsewhere in the world, because the leagues enjoy a significant place in popular culture in the US and Canada. The NFL has 32 teams, and the others have 30 each. The vast majority of major league teams are concentrated in the most populous metropolitan areas of the United States.
Baseball, football, hockey, and soccer have had professional leagues for over 100 years; early leagues such as the National Association, Ohio League, and National Hockey Association formed the basis of the modern MLB, NFL and NHL respectively. Soccer was first professionalized in 1894, but leagues suffered greatly from lack of sustainability and seldom lasted more than a decade. Soccer's greatest successes were in the form of the American Soccer League (1921-1933), the original North American Soccer League (1968-1984), the National Professional Soccer League (1984-2001) and, currently, Major League Soccer (1996-present). Basketball is a relatively new development; the NBA evolved from the National Basketball League and its splinter group the Basketball Association of America, taking on its current form in 1949.
Every major league averages 15,000 fans in attendance per game or higher as of 2011.
Read more about Major Professional Sports Leagues In The United States And Canada: Relations Between Leagues
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