THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS HOME TO A VARIETY OF WELL RUN PROFITABLE LEAGUES IN VARIOUS SPORTS. THESE LEAGUES HAVE DOMINATED SEVERAL PARAMETERS. HERE'S WHY.
THE IMPORTANT FACTOR
America is a sporting powerhouse. I doesn't take a genius mind to figure that out! I mean the nation has a leading national team in almost all sports! We just have to look at the performance of the American team in the Olympics to judge their sporting prowess. I am saying this because success is important to attract the masses. Look at Brazil in football & India in cricket. The common co-relation is tremendous success & massive popularity. So yes, the first & most important factor for success in sporting leagues is SUCCESS!
All time Summer Olympic Medal Tally
SCHOOL SYSTEM
Although I am not an American but I am aware about the fact that Sports are considered an integral part of school life in America. There is a whole lot of incentive attached to it in terms of college scholarships, popularity and financial incentives. I think this enables the leagues like NBA & MLB to have a strong pool of talented young guns to choose from. I think in technical terms its called "grassroot" development where the focus is on developing budding sportspersons from a young age.
FRANCHISE SYSTEM
The Franchise system in sports means that the various teams in a league are owned & managed by private entities with an aim to generate profit. In Franchise system, there is no promotion-relegation, there are geographical constraints (only 1 team from one area) and there is a salary cap on players as well.. For further info, I suggest you click HERE.
Now my point is that this incessant thirst for profit and strict control has generated billions of dollars in revenue! The main reason why the American Leagues are so successful is the financial power they possess. They can upgrade the facilities (look at the privately owned stadiums/arenas), attract the big stars, improve viewers' experience & innovate.
AMERICAN CULTURE
Truth be told, sports are a big part of an American's life. Every youngster in USA has affinity for one game or another. This has created a sort of ecosystem with sports movies, stores, video games and merchandise. So a whole new business worth billions of dollars is generated.
TOP STARS
All major American sports leagues (with the possible exception of MLS) have the top players of their respective sports. The NBA is the holy grail of every basketball player. NFL is the dream of every American kid. MLB has all the great players. I believe to be the no 1. you need to have the no 1.
STANDARD OF LIVING
USA is a developed. You will find the disposable income (part of income set aside for expenditure) is on the higher side. So these leagues have a strong domestic market with healthy stadia attendances, strong fan following & greater fan expenditure. This gives the leagues a solid base to built upon.
I hope the article was a good read.
Cheers!.