The National Football League (NFL) is one of the US’s most popular sports. Watched by millions of people not just within the country but worldwide, the league’s exciting games have an alluring pull.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at the reasons why the NFL is followed by so many people. We’ll look at how the regular season, playoffs, and Super Bowl work, and we’ll also take a look at betting on the NFL, such as taking advantage of NFL promo codes offered by sportsbooks and betting companies.
How does the NFL work?
The NFL has been around since 1920. Since that time, it’s developed into one of the most popular sports not only in the US but around the globe. Before we look into the reasons for this growth in popularity, let’s look at how the sport works.
In total, 32 teams compete in the NFL. They’re split into two divisions of 16. One is known as the American Football Conference and the other is known as the National Football Conference.
For the first 18 weeks of the regular season, teams battle it out to finish in the top seven in their respective conference. Should they achieve this, they’ll qualify for the playoffs.
The purpose of the playoffs is to determine the overall champion across the two conferences. It begins with a conference-based championship, with the seven qualifying teams entering into a knockout competition. Whichever team wins their conference qualifies to compete in the Super Bowl, which is the ultimate prize in the NFL.
Betting on the NFL
Given its huge popularity, many fans are also eager to place bets on the NFL games they watch. Many sportsbooks and betting sites pander to this demand and offer a wide range of betting markets, bonuses, and welcome offers for anyone interested in trying it out.
One of the most popular welcome bonuses offered by sportsbooks is the matched first bet. The premise behind this is simple. When you place your first bet, say for example $100, the betting site will match it. This means your stake will be $200, so if you win, you get double the payout. Some betting sites even offer this up to $2,000, so if you’re confident of a result you can place a bet using this bonus.
There is a wide range of types of bets you can make on the NFL too, such as simple moneyline bets which involve backing who will win, over/under bets or proposition bets, such as backing who will win the Super Bowl.
Why is the NFL followed by so many people?
American Football is a sport that is held dear to the hearts of many fans. There are scores of reasons why people love the NFL. Let’s take a look at some of them.
The personal connection
Many NFL fans have grown up playing football or supporting an NFL team. That influence may come from their parents or grandparents. It may have become something of a tradition that’s passed down through the generations.
As a result, fans become loyal to their clubs, and some go as far as allowing them to shape their identity and who they are. They also find unity with other people and fans when following a team.
The NFL draft
One of the signature events of the year and one that draws a big buzz is the NFL draft. This event gives teams an opportunity to recruit exciting youngsters from the college leagues.
For the draft, the 32 teams are given one pick in each of the seven rounds. The priority order when it comes to choosing is decided by the team’s finishing position the season before. A team that finishes last will get a number one pick, but they can also trade that position for players.
It’s a fair game
One of the biggest draws for many fans, at least before the season begins, is the hope that their team may win the Super Bowl. While it isn’t a distant reality in many cases, one of the beautiful things about the NFL is that all teams have a shot at winning.
The way the NFL achieves this is through two things: equal revenue sharing and a salary cap. This means that all teams are provided with the same resources and can spend exactly the same amount of money. This applies to things like commercial sponsors too, so nobody is at a disadvantage.