Top 10 fastest-growing sports in the world right now: Which is the fastest-growing sport?

Top 10 fastest-growing sports in the world right now: Which is the fastest-growing sport?

Sospeter Itolondo
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:27 PM
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A new crop of games is emerging from every corner of the world, ready to quench people's thirst for a new adventure. Some become less successful, while others grow beyond expectations. So, what are the top 10 fastest-growing sports?

fastest-growing sports
Close-up of a male e-sports team celebrating a victory in a tournament. Photo: Marko Geber
Source: Getty Images

Some of the most popular games in the world, such as football and rugby, were established hundreds of years ago and have a deep history. Some are still growing, while others have reached their full potential. However, some newer games are still coming up at fast rates.

Top 10 fastest-growing sports in the world

The world has so many sports growing daily due to the many curious fans. So, what sports have the biggest growth? Here is a list of the fastest-growing sports in the world:

10. Stand Up Paddleboarding

Adventure lovers appreciate this game as it is an adrenaline-filled sport. The game keeps growing daily, including activities such as touring, racing, surfing and yoga. It involves a paddle with a surfboard that the player stands on and paddles away. Some famous SUP events include vail Mountain Games and the Mississippi River 140.

fastest-growing sports in the world
Jack Billings of the Saints does stand-up paddleboarding during a St Kilda Saints AFL training session at Catani Gardens on November 21, 2017, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Quinn Rooney
Source: Getty Images

9. Pickleball

Pickleball is a new sport that has recently emerged, growing daily in popularity. It combines table tennis, badminton and tennis, making it even more enjoyable. The game can be enjoyed by anyone in any age group hence its growing nature.

fastest-growing sports in America 2023
Callan Dawson hits a forehand volley shot against Federico Staksrud during the PPA Carvana Arizona Grand Slam at Legacy Sports USA on February 18, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona. Photo: Bruce Yeung
Source: Getty Images

The racquets resemble table tennis, with a plastic ball and a tennis-like net and court. One famous invention of this game is the USA Pickleball National Championships, making it one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

8. Adventure racing

Everyone loves adventure and partaking in adrenaline-filled activities. This game does not have a specified time frame and can happen between an hour and a month. The sport involves trekking, mountain biking, paddling, mountain climbing and other adrenaline-filled activities.

Top 10 fastest-growing sports in the world
Davide Cappello (ITA) during UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Val di Sole 2022 - Junior Men Downhill race category - September 3, 2022. Photo: Roberto Tommasini
Source: Getty Images

Besides exercising the body, the players enjoy fantastic scenery and fresh air. Some events that have come up from this game include Red Bull Defiance, Red Bull Dolmitenmann, and Wilderness Traverse.

7. Drone Racing

With the rise in technology, drones have become more popular among people hence the emergence of drone racing. The industry is worth a lucrative $127 billion, which is impressive. An aspect that makes the sport even more interesting is the FPV goggles that give the players a real-like experience.

Fastest-growing sports leagues
Competitors prepare the drones during the 2nd national race of ¨Racing Drone¨ at the ¨Cincuentenario¨ football stadium on September 12, 2021, in Medellin, Colombia. Photo: Fredy Builes
Source: Getty Images

Some events where the game is practised include Home Filed and Emerald Downs 1s Whoop Race.

6. Footgolf

This is yet another game that has evolved from another game, golf. The difference is that players use their own feet instead of a golf club and a bigger ball. The holes are also bigger. People of any age can play the game.

The fastest-growing sports in America in 2023
A player tries to put during a round of football golf at the Soccerpark Dirmstein on May 25, 2014, in Dirmstein, Germany. Photo: Alex Grimm
Source: Getty Images

The AFGL tour is one famous event for the game. Other leagues are also being established.

5. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

MMA is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide, with millions of fans. The game has generated billions of income with incredible PPV rates. The sport has promotions such as the UFC, which has some of the best athletes the world has seen.

what are the top 10 fastest-growing sports?
Alexa Grasso (bottom) fights Valentina Shevchenko during their UFC 285 women's flyweight title bout at T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 4, 2023. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon
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Some famous names in the game include Usman Kamaru, Israel Adesanya, Conor McGregor and many others. The game has been estimated to be more than $4 billion.

4. Rugby

It is one of the world's oldest games and one of the most physical. The game has millions of fans worldwide and once grew by more than 60 million fans in a year. It has many world championships as the player tour playing the game.

what is the number one growing sport?
Joshua Bassingthwaighte (L) of Samurai RFC tackles Dennis Ombachi of Kenya's national team Shujaa during the final of Safari Sevens, in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 11, 2018. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba
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Rugby has one of the fittest athletes in the world. One famous event is the Rugby World Cup.

3. Kabaddi

Kabaddi is one of the fastest-growing sports in Asia. The game has grown astronomically to a world favourite with millions of fans everywhere. It was first popular in India and Pakistan, where it originated from.

What sports have the biggest growth?
Sedigheh Jafari (2R) tries escort from India's players to defend during the women's team kabaddi finals match at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 24, 2018. Photo: Chaideer Mahyuddin
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The sport has a great league named the pro-Kabaddi season and the Kabaddi World Cup. The game involves a player of one team running around, trying to catch players of the other team while holding their breath. It usually involves seven players per team.

2. Javelin

The Olympics has played a crucial role in the growth of this game. It involves throwing a javelin which is a spear, for some distance in an open field. It is described as a track and field event in the Olympics and requires well-built athletes on average to make the long throws.

fastest-growing sports in the world
Japan's Marina Saito competes in the final of the women's javelin throw athletics event during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 28, 2018. Photo: Martin Bureau
Source: Getty Images

The major competition known for javelin throwers is the Olympics and the Diamond League.

1. eSports

So, what is the number one growing sport? This is the fastest-growing sport in the world of late. It does not involve physicality but a lot of mental technicalities. One reason this game is growing exponentially is the lump sum prize monies paid to the competitors and the availability of consoles and PCs to participate in the game.

fastest-growing sports in America
TayZo of the Celtics Crossover Gaming looks on during the 2022 NBA 2K League The Ticket Tournament on August 13, 2022, at NBA 2K League Studio in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Ron Hoskins
Source: Getty Images

Some leagues can be played remotely, while others require the participants to appear at organised places. The industry is estimated to be around $3.5 billion, with potential growth of $10 billion. Some famous eSports competitions include The International 10, Fortnite World Cup, PUBG Global Invitational, League of legends, FIFA eWorld Cup, and F1 eSports.

Fastest-growing sports leagues

Sports leagues facilitate the organisation and occurrence of different games around the world. They bring order and create a competitive feeling which helps the games grow. The fastest-growing sports leagues in the world include:

Fastest-growing sports leagues

UEFA Champions League(UCL)

Serie A

La Liga Santander

National Hockey League(NHL)

English Premier League(EPL)

National Basketball Association(NBA)

Major League BaseballMLB)

Indian Premier League(IPL)

National Football League(NFL)

Bundesliga

what is the number one growing sport?
Cristiano Ronaldo scores a goal during the UEFA Champions League group F match against Villarreal CF at Estadio de la Ceramica on November 23, 2021, in Villarreal, Spain. Photo: Aitor Alcalde
Source: Getty Images

The fastest-growing sports in America in 2023

America is well known for inventing new games and popularising them worldwide. Their fastest-growing sport is Pickleball. According to the American organisation SFIA, the game grew an astonishing 158.6 per cent in the last three years. The USA Pickleball CEO, Stu Upson, said that;

"After anticipating the 2023 SFIA report and its insightful findings, we were thrilled to see further evidence-based research that confirms Pickleball's momentum and exponential growth continued last year. This data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association is valuable for our team's efforts to build the pickleball community and reach new mainstream audiences, as the sport collectively reaches new heights."

eSports takes the top spot among the fastest-growing sports in the world right now. The game generates a lot of revenue and is expected to triple in recent times. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, as it has grown a whopping 158% in the last three years.

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