spectator sport

American  

noun

1. any sport that can be watched by spectators, as football or basketball, usually for a fee.

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spectator sport British  

noun

1. a sport that attracts more people as spectators than as participants

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Etymology

Origin of spectator sport

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Horse racing is the second-biggest spectator sport in Britain, behind football, with more than 1,400 fixtures a year.

From BBC

But, Rosenfield said, “When we take joy in the distress and ruination of other people, we make monsters of ourselves,” in that the internet has turned public shaming into a gleeful, global spectator sport.

From Los Angeles Times

And the league's attempt to turn this into a lucrative spectator sport contradicts the values of many in the Pacific Islander community, Penaia says.

From BBC

Americans began to hold their own by the 1920s, and professional golf has increased in popularity as a spectator sport to this day.

From Los Angeles Times

In Fields’ words, 24hr racing is “definitely not a spectator sport”, which might explain why there is genuine excitement every four hours when all the runners change direction in an attempt to prevent injury.

From BBC