A
spectator sport is a
sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. For instance,
American football,
association football,
baseball,
basketball,
professional boxing,
Canadian football,
cricket,
field hockey,
Formula One,
ice hockey,
rugby league,
rugby union,
soccer,
team handball,
tennis and
volleyball are spectator sports, while
hunting or
underwater hockey typically are not. Spectator sports may be
professional sports or
amateur sports. They often are distinguished from participant sports, which are more
recreational;
golf and
tennis can be either.
Association football, also known as soccer, is by far the most watched sport on the planet.