MLB generated the most favorable buzz of any US sport last year, according to new data from YouGov.
Major League Baseball ranked No. 1 in YouGov SportsIndex’s “Buzz Score” — outperforming top competitors like the NFL and FIFA World Cup.
The SportsIndex: Global Sports rankings is a daily brand tracking tool that measures public perception of professional sports leagues and sporting events in the US and internationally.
One of the key metrics is the Buzz Score, which is based on surveys where participants from the general public are asked two questions about 200 sports properties in more than 30 sports:
The Buzz Score is then calculated as the difference between the percentage of respondents who have heard positive news versus negative news about a sport or event in the past two weeks.
MLB has the highest Buzz Score in the US for 2022, reaching a 17.6 Buzz Score in August.
Top global sports Buzz Scores in the US, 2022
According to YouGov SportsIndex: Global Sports rankings 2023
17.6 in MLB is No. 1 Buzz Score overall for any global sports property tracked by YouGov, as well as for domestic sports properties.
Baseball’s highest Buzz Score came as the playoff races began to heat up, with Aaron Judge chasing 62 home runs and Albert Pujols chasing 700 career home runs.
The MLB generated more favorable buzz during that time than the NFL around Thanksgiving, the World Cup while Lionel Messi and Argentina won the title, the US Open during phenom Carlos Alcaraz’s run and NCAA basketball during March Madness.
The judge is also one of the top athletes in the US, and the World Series-bound Phillies are No. 1 sports team, in Google Trends’ Year in Search 2022.
