The American sports market is one in which is difficult to find a position. In the country, the most popular leagues already occupied the top four spaces, which are the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. The NFL in particular boasts the biggest net worth, with the combined value of all 32 teams coming up to an astounding $143 billion. With the level of popularity that the NFL has in the United States, it is not a surprise that the league is one of the richest sports leagues in the world, with players in the league amassing status and fame unlike any other. 

And now, there is another sport that has a fan following of 2.5 billion Asians that is trying to crack open the sports market in America. With the NFL currently 60 days away from the start of its 2023 season, this beloved sport in Asia is now looking forward to building a following in the United States as well. 

Major League Cricket to host their inaugural edition in the World of American Sports 

When you think about cricket, you think about powerhouses like India and England. Although cricket made its debut in the United States back in the 18th century, it could not keep up in terms of the popularity of other sports. Eventually, with time, baseball took over cricket as the primary bat and ball game of the country, while becoming one of the most popular sports to be played in America.

And now, cricket is looking to crack down on the notoriously tough, already-established American Sports Market to find its place amongst the other leagues of the country. With the US and the West Indies set to co-host the T20 World Cup in 2024, the MLC is looking forward to advertising the sports through a new league that is set to start on the 13th of July, as per an article by Wisden. While there have been previous attempts to start T20 cricket in the country through leagues like Pro Cricket and the United States Premier League, they consider the MLC to be the catalyst for a breakthrough. It is because four of the six teams are either backed or owned by the Indian Premier League (IPL), the most lucrative league in the world in the short-term cricket format. 

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With the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket to begin in the next few days, will it see the same success as the other more widely accepted sports leagues?

Will MLC be a boom or a bust? 

The NFL is a league that is one of the most beloved sports leagues in the country. Even the college football programs dishing out millions to groom players for top competition in the NFL, it is currently too early to tell whether Major League Cricket will see the same success in the distant future. Football, which is known as soccer in the country, is one of the biggest sports in the world. But the Major League Soccer(MLS) is still not in the top four leagues in the country, despite their efforts to boost its popularity. They brought in world-class phenomenons like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham, and recently, even Lionel Messi. But the soccer league still trails behind the big 4, becoming an example of how tough it is to crack the sports market in America.

Do you think the MLC is the catalyst to make cricket more popular in America? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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