Prior to the end of the NFL lockout last summer, there was concern that a number of fans would tune out once the games resumed.
Well, it turns out that the exact opposite proved to the true.
After surveying 2,237 adults in December, The Harris Poll revealed that once again the NFL is America's favorite sport. And it's not even close.
Over one-third of adults (36 percent) who follow at least one sport said that the NFL is their favorite sport. That is a five percent increase from 2010. Coming in second place is Major League Baseball, which was named the favorite sport of 13 percent of those polled. That is a four percent decrease from a year ago. The NFL extended its lead over MLB by nearly two touchdowns (13 percentage points) in the last 12 months.
Since 1985, no sport has been able to claim that it is the favorite of over 30 percent of fans except the NFL. The 36 percent total from this year's poll is the single-highest over the past 26 years. Back in 1985, there was only a one percent difference in popularity between the NFL and MLB. Since then, the NFL's popularity has increased 12 percent (from 24 percent in 1985 to 36 percent now) and MLB's has dropped 10 percent (from 23 percent to 13 percent).
In fact, college football registered as the favorite sport of 13 percent of the fans polled and is right on the verge of overtaking MLB as the No. 2 sport in this country.
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