Banner

Interest in the FIBA World Cup is growing rapidly, and this has great significance for the development of sports

  1. Home
  2. Interest in the FIBA World Cup is growing rapidly, and this has great significance for the development of sports



More than 3 billion basketball fans—a staggering number that reflects the scale of global enthusiasm for this sport. Why has basketball, which was until recently considered an “American game,” now firmly taken second place in popularity after football? According to a recent Nielsen Sports study, interest in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the game itself continues to grow at record pace. What is behind this phenomenon, and what future does it promise for world sports?

Global scale and significance of the study

At the end of 2023, Nielsen Sports conducted a comprehensive analysis of interest in basketball in 18 countries around the world, commissioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The survey covered people aged 16 to 69, collecting data on fans’ preferences and motivations. For FIBA, as the largest global organizer of championships and the main trendsetter in basketball, such research is extremely important. It helps not only to track the dynamics of interest, but also to shape the strategy for the development of the sport on the international stage.

Right now, the topic has become especially relevant: as experts note, after the pandemic years, basketball is experiencing a new rise. The popularity of its main tournaments, especially the FIBA World Cup, has served as a powerful catalyst for engaging new generations of viewers and participants.

Basketball on a global scale: facts and trends

The numbers collected by Nielsen Sports impress even the skeptics:

  • 3.3 billion fans worldwide

  • The salaries of NBA basketball players are rising and reaching record highs. This indicates an increase in the amount of money in the industry.

  • Basketball ranks second in global popularity, behind only football

  • In the countries studied, interest grew from 68% to 74% from 2019 to 2023

Such dynamics make basketball not just a sport, but a large-scale social network. If we imagine global sports as a vast ocean, basketball has become a tidal wave in recent years, capable of uniting people of all ages and nationalities. For the sports industry, the growth of interest means not only an increase in audience, but also expanded opportunities for sponsorship, media, and new technologies.

Youth audience: the key to the future

Attention to youth turned out to be one of the main findings of the study:

  • In the 16-29 age group, 80% of respondents are interested in basketball

  • This figure has grown by 10% over the past four years

According to Nielsen Sports, the growth was especially pronounced in Indonesia, the Philippines, China, the UAE, as well as in leading European countries: Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Young people are increasingly choosing basketball thanks to the game’s dynamics, the availability of courts, and the widespread distribution of basketball content on social networks. Can we say that basketball will become the number one sport for the new generation? For now, one thing is clear: the influx of young fans is setting new standards for the entire global sports sphere.

The phenomenon of the FIBA World Cup: a surge of attention

FIBA’s main tournament, the Basketball World Cup, has become a real magnet for fans. Over four years, interest in the FIBA World Cup has grown by 33% (Nielsen Sports). In 2023, for the first time, the competition was held in three countries at once—the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. This unusual format attracted the attention of millions, increasing audience engagement across different continents.

The numbers confirm the success:

  • 2023 Men’s World Cup: 58% of respondents are aware of the event, 28% are interested in it

  • 2022 Women’s World Cup: 42% are aware, 20% are interested

Another sign of growing interest is that bookmakers are increasingly offering betting options on this sporting event. To confirm this, in preparing this article our authors studied several lines from popular brands Melbet, PinUp, and Parimatch. We also decided to register 1win, as it offers the highest odds. And almost everywhere, there turned out to be quite a lot of opportunities to bet on FIBA.

FIBA’s flagship tournaments are not just competitions, but global sporting festivals involving dozens of countries and hundreds of millions of fans. Expanding the geography of the event helps stimulate the development of basketball in new regions and turns the tournament into a global event.

Expert opinions and assessments

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis especially emphasized the significance of the latest data: “These positive figures confirm that basketball is attracting more and more fans, especially among young people.” According to him, the strategic decisions made in 2019 are already leading to increased audience engagement and the expansion of the global basketball community.

Experts note: the growth of interest serves as an important argument in favor of investment in infrastructure development, expanding broadcasts, and increasing the availability of information about tournaments. FIBA uses the results of the study as a guidepost for planning new projects and adapting its initiatives to a changing audience.

Such analytics play a key role in the adjustment of long-term plans and make it possible to take into account both quantitative and qualitative changes in fans’ interests.

FIBA’s development prospects

FIBA’s immediate plans include organizing the next major tournaments: the Women’s World Cup in Germany in 2026 and the Men’s World Cup in Qatar in 2027. The priorities remain expanding the audience, actively engaging youth, and supporting women’s basketball.

Among the main challenges is the need to maintain high engagement amid growing competition among sports and changing media preferences among the younger generation. At the same time, FIBA sees this as a unique opportunity for innovation, experimenting with tournament formats, and new communication strategies.

Why is further growth in interest in basketball so important for world sports? First of all, it opens the way for the integration of different cultures, support for inclusivity, and the formation of a truly global sports environment. As FIBA representatives noted, the results of the research are not just a report, but a compass for the future development of sports on the planet.