In 2023, the greatest share of players by ethnic group in the National Football League (NFL) were black or African American athletes, constituting just over 53 percent of players within the NFL. Despite the large population of Hispanic or Latino people within the United States, there is a substantial underrepresentation within the NFL, with only 0.5 percent of players identifying as such.

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that was established in 1920 and now consists of 32 clubs divided into two conferences, the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The league culminates in the Super Bowl, the NFL's annual championship game. As the league’s championship game, the Super Bowl has grown into one of the world's largest single-day sporting events, attracting high television ratings and generating billions of dollars in consumer spending.

NFL revenues The NFL is one of the most profitable sports leagues in the world, generating a staggering 18.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. This total revenue of all 32 NFL teams has constantly increased over the past 15 years and, although this figure dropped significantly in 2020, this was largely as a result of the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) containment measures. This significant drop in revenue demonstrates one of the primary impacts of COVID-19 on professional sports leagues.

NFL franchises As a result of this profitability in non-pandemic times, the franchises of the NFL are attributed extremely high market values. The Dallas Cowboys were by far the most valuable franchise in the NFL, with a market value of nine billion US dollars in 2023. The high value of NFL franchises can be seen clearly when compared to those of the NBA, MLB, and NHL. Franchises within the NFL had an average market value of approximately 5.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Of the big four professional sports leagues in North America, the NFL and the NBA have the highest percentage of African American players. In 2024, around 53.5 percent of NFL players were African American, as well as around 36.6 percent of assistant coaches.

The National Football League comprises 32 teams from across the United States competing in two conferences split roughly by region. The NFL is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the United States, with televised games attracting millions of viewers each week. This survey depicts the level of interest in the NFL in the United States, and it showed that 42 percent of Black respondents were avid fans of the NFL as of April 2023.

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional football league in the United States comprising 32 teams spread out over two conferences. As one of the biggest professional sports leagues in the country, it is no surprise that the NFL attracts fans from all walks of life. In a 2020 survey, it was found that 25 percent of Los Angeles fans were Hispanic, while 22 percent were Black.

As of August 2023, around half of NFL fans aged 18-29 were white. Meanwhile, 14 percent of NFL fans aged 30 or older were Black, while this figure stood at 16 percent among those aged 18 to 29.

A January 2023 survey illustrated the average weekly viewership of National Football League games by respondents of different ethnicities in the United States. According to the survey, 30 percent of Asian respondents stated that they spent between two and four hours a week following NFL games, whereas this figure amounted to 23 percent for white survey participants. Meanwhile, 29 percent of African American/Black and Latino respondents spent between two and four hours weekly watching football.

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional football league in the United States. The league was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and played its inaugural season with eleven teams. Nowadays, the NFL comprises 32 teams spread out over two conferences, the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC), that each consist of four divisions. In a September 2020 survey in the United States, 12 percent of Hispanic respondents stated that they attended about one game per season on average.

American Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, enjoyed by thousands of people live in the stadiums and millions more back home. The highest league in the land is the NFL, which consists of 32 teams divided equally into two conferences. At the end of the season, the two best-performing teams compete for the ultimate prize at the Super Bowl. College football is seen as the final step up towards the NFL, with the best performers on the college circuit gaining lucrative contracts with NFL teams at the end of each season during the NFL Draft. A January 2020 survey showed that 12 percent of African American respondents very much preferred watching college football to NFL on TV.

The National Basketball Association has one of the highest percentages of African American players from the big four professional sports leagues in North America. In 2023, approximately 70.4 percent of NBA players were African American. Meanwhile, ethnically white players constituted a 17.5 percent share of all NBA players that year. After the WNBA and NBA, the National Football League had the largest share of African Americans in a professional sports league in North America.

How do other roles in the NBA compare?

When it comes to African American representation in the NBA, no other role in the NBA is as well represented by African Americans as players. Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the scale, less than five percent of team governors in the NBA were African American in 2023. During the 2022/23 season, the role with the second-highest share of African Americans was head coach, with a share of 50 percent. That season, the number of African American head coaches in the NBA exceeded the number of white head coaches for the first time.

African Americans in the NFL

In 2022, the greatest share of players by ethnicity in the NFL were African American, with more than half of all NFL players falling within this group. The representation of African Americans in American Football extended beyond the playing field, with 36.3 percent of NFL assistant coaches being African American in 2022 as well. However, positions such as vice presidents and head coaches were less representative of the African American population, as less than 10 percent of the individuals fulfilling these roles in 2022 were African American.

This graph shows the distribution of the NFL regular season television audience during 2013 by race or ethnicity. The share of Hispanic television viewers for the 2013 NFL regular season was eight percent.

College football takes place in organized leagues between teams of students from different universities in the U.S. and Canada. The leagues are organized by the NCAA, which is the sports association that organizes a wide range of sports for colleges and students. In a survey conducted in April 2023, around 23 percent of Black respondents stated that they were avid fans of college football in the United States.

In 2023, there were three black or African American head coaches in the National Football League, a decrease from seven head coaches in the 2018 season. Meanwhile, there was only one Hispanic or Latinx head coach in the NFL in the 2023 season.

The Super Bowl is the highlight of the NFL season, watched by millions in the United States and many more across the world. During a February 2023 survey in the United States, around 48 percent of Hispanic respondents stated that it was very likely that they would watch Super Bowl LVII in February 2023.

Professional sports leagues in North America have traditionally been home to athletes from many backgrounds and ethnicities. In the 2023 season, over 70 percent of the players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) were African American. In comparison, 17.5 percent of NBA athletes were white and 2.2 percent were Hispanic.

Despite declining popularity in recent years, football remains the most popular high school sports program for male participants. The games are also regularly well-attended with each school having a following from both within the school and from the local community. During a survey conducted in January 2020, 15 percent of African American respondents were very interested in high school football in the United States.

Monday Night Football on ESPN presents the final games and highlights of the NFL weekend to households across the United States. In a September 2020 survey in the United States, 19 percent of African American respondents stated that they watched Monday Night Football every week, while 19 percent also only tuned in when their favorite team was playing.

According to a January 2023 survey which illustrated public opinion on the most appropriate penalty for National Football League players accused of domestic violence, 45 percent of white respondents from the United States were in favor of a permanent ban from playing in the competition. Meanwhile, 20 percent of African American/Black respondents held the same view.

American Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, enjoyed by thousands of people live in the stadiums and millions more back home. A January 2020 survey showed that 34 percent of Hispanic respondents very much enjoyed watching American Football on TV.

American Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, enjoyed by thousands of people live in the stadiums and millions more back home. The highest league in the land is the NFL, which consists of 32 teams divided equally into two conferences. At the end of the season, the two best-performing teams compete for the ultimate prize at the Super Bowl. A January 2020 survey showed that 15 percent of African American respondents would be very open to watching a new football league during the NFL offseason to fill the gap before the NFL returns each September.

Sunday Night Football on NBC is a staple of many football households across the United States. In a September 2020 survey in the United States, 22 percent of African American respondents stated that they watched Sunday Night Football every week, while 23 percent only tuned in when their favorite team was playing.