Six new games are going to be added to the Summer Olympic Games, and some are more unique than others. The sports that will be added are the following: squash, lacrosse and flag football. There will also be the return of baseball, cricket and softball. Could the addition of the new sports support the viewership of the 2028 Olympics?
It is estimated that 20 million people in more than 100 countries play flag football, according to DW News, and the sport has been increasing in popularity for years, but it came as a surprise to many people that it would be added to the Olympic games. When it comes to America’s success in this upcoming sport, there is no need to worry. The NFL has been working with the player’s union on allowing current and former players to play in the Olympics.
Another rapidly growing sport being added is squash. There are around 20 million people who actively play squash and an estimated 185 countries participate in the sport. There are many squash leagues in the world, including a world championship which is held in England. The final new sport being added is lacrosse. Lacrosse has been around for a long time but has recently become the fastest-growing sport in North America. In the U.S., the membership growth rate has increased by 579% in the past several years. In the world lacrosse championship, there are 90 members spanning the globe.
When it comes to cricket, baseball and softball, they have all been to the Olympics before. For softball, it was most recently played in the 2020 Olympics but not in the upcoming 2024 games. It was removed due to lack of global participation, but in recent years the International Olympic Committee has begun to see growth in the sport and are looking to add it back. The reason why baseball was removed from the Summer Olympics in the past was the unwillingness of the MLB to work around the Olympic schedule, since the MLB season takes place in the summer as well as the Olympics, it would be a very big conflict for both organizations if they were to share players. While there is no telling what the compromise will be for the MLB, baseball minor league teams have no limitations on their players playing in the 16-game tournament
Cricket is the last of the three sports to be returning. The reason that it was removed is also because of its unpopularity over the years. The reason that this sport has made a comeback after its 128-year absence is because the International Olympic Committee believes that cricket will attract millions of viewers from South Asia.
There is no doubt that the addition of these sports will improve not only the viewership of the games but also the quality. Incorporating fast-growing sports like flag football, squash, and lacrosse will attract millions of viewers from new audiences. The returning sports baseball, softball, and cricket are almost guaranteed to have new viewers due to their popularity.
