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

See Examples For:

spectator sport

For years I’ve called the Herndon Climb America’s next great spectator sport.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

Trading is being reimagined as a spectator sport, complete with play-by-play commentary and, of course, prediction bets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

For visitors and locals alike, ongoing drama over whether the Seine will be swimmable has become its own spectator sport.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2024

For the last three decades, badminton has been a competitive Olympic sport, and with "bird" speeds topping 300 mph in "smash" shots, it certainly makes for exciting spectator sport.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2024

I wondered if I should have brought along my boyfriend to make the experience feel more real or important, but I hadn't expected it to be a spectator sport.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi