Pavel Prikhodko, Ph.D. Machine Learning
Since New York legalized boxing in 1896, it became one of the most popular sports in the United States. Due to a great number of immigrants arriving in the United States from all over the world, the country was home to one of the most exciting boxing platforms ever. A great constellation of talented boxers from Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, Central and Western Europe became popular and well-recognized after arriving in America. In the beginning of the 20th century, boxing became not only one of the shortest paths to glory and financial wealth but also a way to avoid poverty and hunger and provide food for the fighters’ families. There was a time when Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis were national heroes and role models for entire generations.
The boxing culture in America carries a rich bag of colorful stories of rises and falls, spectacular challenges and unforgettable moments; this is why boxing still attracts millions of people in America. According to information published at Statista.com, there were 11.5 million people who identified as boxing fans in the country in 2011. Next year in 2012, the number of people who were interested in professional boxing increased to 12.6 million. There were 12.06 million pro boxing fans in the United States in 2013. Since then, this rate has decreased, mainly due to the popularity of mixed martial arts, in the United States: 11.2 million in 2014 and 10.7 million people in 2015.
Boxing is also one of the main sports broadcasted on American TV. The number of TV viewers of professional boxing in spring of 2015 was 20.29 million people. There were also 20.43 million viewers in autumn and 20.44 million in spring of 2014. In comparison, the number of people who viewed professional boxing on TV in spring of 2013 was 22.22 million. In 2012, the numbers were quite similar: 23.09 million TV viewers in spring and 23 million in autumn.
About Pavel Prikhodko
Pavel Prikhodko, Ph.D. Machine Learning
Pavel has worked for many years as a researcher and developer on a wide range of applications (varying from mechanics and manufacturing to social data, finance and advertising), building predictive systems and trying to find stories that data can tell.
In his free time, he enjoys being with his family.
Other posts by Pavel Prikhodko:
This article seems very generic.
Agreed.