If No One’s Watching, Who Is the Sport Really For?

When you’ve been in strength sports or a sport at all long enough, you start to notice something uncomfortable:

Some sports pack arenas.
Some fill expo halls.
And some… mostly fill warm-up rooms.

So let’s answer the question honestly:

Which Sport Has the Most Fans: Bodybuilding, Strongman, Olympic Weightlifting, or Powerlifting?

From most fans to least fans globally:

Bodybuilding
Strongman
Olympic Weightlifting
Powerlifting

Now let’s break down why.

1️⃣ IFBB Bodybuilding – The Largest Audience Sport

When you think of physique competition, you think of the Mr. Olympia.

Bodybuilding wins in fan base for one simple reason:

It’s visually universal.

You don’t need to understand technique, weight classes, leverages or programming

You just look at the stage and say: “Wow.”

The physiques are extreme. The lighting is dramatic and the presentation is theatrical. It’s built for spectators.

Add in:

Massive social media presence
Influencer crossover
Physique-based lifestyle appeal
Mainstream supplement marketing

And you have a sport that sells aspiration.

Bodybuilding has turned physiques into entertainment.

Total viewers: over 10k in the arena and millions worldwide online

2️⃣ World’s Strongest Man – The Spectacle Sport

Strongman has something bodybuilding doesn’t:

Raw chaos.

Atlas stones. Log presses. Truck pulls. Fingal’s fingers.

Events like the Arnold Strongman Classic and World’s Strongest Man have built global recognition because the events are dramatic and easy to understand:

Lift the heaviest thing.
Move it the fastest.
Survive the most brutal event.

You don’t need to know technical intricacies to appreciate someone pulling a plane.

Strongman works because:

It’s primal, unpredictable and television friendly.

But here’s the limitation:

It’s event-based. Outside major competitions, it doesn’t have the same year-round viewer engagement as bodybuilding content. I’ve seen high school football games with more fans than local comps.

Total viewers: 220 million worldwide annually with events like Britain’s Strongest Man bringing in 10K spectators at Royal Albert Hall.

3️⃣ Olympic Weightlifting – The Global Stage Sport

Olympic weightlifting holds a unique position.

Because of its presence in the Summer Olympics and long rich history, it has something the other sports on this list do not:

Built-in global exposure.

Every four years, millions of viewers watch athletes snatch and clean & jerk at the highest level.

It also has:

Deep international rivalries
National pride
Government-supported athlete pipelines in many countries
Technical beauty that appeals to trained eyes

But here’s the reality:

Outside of the Olympics, viewership drops significantly.

The sport is highly technical.Missed lifts can confuse casual fans. Weight classes and attempt strategies aren’t always explained well.

To trained lifters, a perfect snatch is art.

To casual viewers, it can look like “they lifted it or they didn’t.”

Olympic weightlifting benefits massively from its Olympic platform — but it struggles to maintain that same attention year-round.

Total viewers: Ranging from millions of viewers during the Olympics to 1,500 spectators at national level events

4️⃣ Powerlifting – The Athlete-Heavy Sport

Now we get to powerlifting. And this is where things get uncomfortable.

Powerlifting likely has more participants than spectators.

Local meets are filled with lifters, coaches, and family, but not many pure fans.

Why?

1. It’s technical.

To appreciate a third attempt at 100% of a 1RM, you need context.

2. It’s repetitive.

Squat. Bench. Deadlift. Repeat.

3. It lacks spectacle.

To a casual viewer, a 650 squat and a 700 squat can look identical.

Even at high levels like the IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships, the viewership is niche compared to physique or strongman events — and even compared to Olympic exposure every four years.

Total viewers: 500-1000 at national events, with the largest being over 2k at Sheffield.

The Hard Question

If a sport has more athletes than fans…

Who is it actually for?

Is it:

A participation sport?
A self-development outlet?
A competitive hobby?
A coaching ecosystem?
A testing ground for personal limits?

Or is it something that simply hasn’t figured out how to package itself?

What Does an Average Powerlifting Meet Cost?

(Numbers vary by federation and region, but this is a realistic mid-size meet example.)

Athlete Costs

Entry fee: $100–$180
Federation membership: $40–$100
Travel, hotel, food: variable

Let’s assume:

Average entry fee: $150

With 100 lifters:

$15,000 in entry fees

Promoter Costs (Rough Estimates)

Venue rental: $1,500–$5,000
Equipment rental or transport: $2,000–$4,000 ($0 If they own it)
Insurance & sanction fees: $1,000–$2,000
Staff/spotter platform crew: $1,000–$2,000
Awards/medals: $150–$500
Miscellaneous (livestream, permits, supplies): $1,000–$2,000

Estimated total expenses:
$5,650–$13,500

Let’s assume a middle ground:
$9,575 in expenses

Additional Revenue Streams

Now let’s factor in the other common income sources.

Sponsor Contributions

Local supplement companies, apparel brands, or gyms often sponsor small-to-mid meets.

Small local sponsor: $250–$500
Mid-level sponsor: $500–$1,500
Title sponsor: $1,500–$3,000

A realistic small meet might bring in:

$1,500–$5,000 in sponsorships

Let’s conservatively assume:
$1,500

Vendor Booth Fees

Vendors pay for booth space to sell apparel, supplements, or services.

Booth fee: $200–$500 per vendor
4–8 vendors typical at a 100-lifter meet

Estimated vendor revenue:
$1,000–$3,000

Let’s go low and assume:
$500

Spectator Ticket Sales

This is where things vary drastically.

Day pass: $10–$25
Weekend pass: $20–$40

At local meets, most spectators are family and friends.

If:

150 spectators attend throughout the day
Average ticket price: $20

That’s:

$3,000 in ticket sales

Many meets see less. Larger regional meets may see more.

Potential Outcome for 100 Lifters

Base Entry Revenue:

$15,000

Plus Sponsors:

$1,500

Plus Vendors:

$500

Plus Spectators:

$3,000

Total Revenue: $20,000

Minus Estimated Expenses:

$9,575

Estimated Promoter Profit:

~$10,425

Now — that’s a strong meet.

But here’s the reality:

Not every meet gets $1,500 in sponsors.
Not every meet gets 150 paying spectators.
Some venues cost far more.
Equipment transport can spike costs.
Some federations charge higher sanction fees.
A poorly attended meet could drop profit.

Now Here’s the Key

If most revenue comes from athlete entry fees, and sponsors are typically targeting the lifters…

And spectators are mostly friends and family…

Then the sport is primarily funded by its participants, not by fans.

Which brings us back to the uncomfortable question:

If a sport survives without needing spectators…

Who is it really built for?

And if growth depends on more lifters entering meets — not more fans buying tickets —

Is that a ceiling? Or is that the model?

I want your take.

Should powerlifting aim to become more fan-driven like bodybuilding?

What about spectacle based like strongman?

Or is there power in being a participant-funded sport?

Drop your thoughts in the comments.

And if you’re serious about competing at a higher level — or building something bigger within the sport — reach out.

Let’s build stronger athletes — and stronger sports.

How Do the Lower-Fan Sports Grow?

Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting both face similar challenges:

Highly technical rules
Repetitive event structure
Limited mainstream storytelling

Some potential solutions:

1️⃣ Better Storytelling

Strongman sells characters.
Bodybuilding sells physiques.
Olympic lifting sells national pride.

But outside the Olympics, and in powerlifting year-round, the stories need to be louder:

Rivalries
Comebacks
Underdogs
Technical breakdowns for casual viewers

2️⃣ Cleaner Production

Professional commentary.
Explaining attempts in real time.
Visual breakdowns of depth, commands, and strategy.

3️⃣ Personality-Driven Media

Athletes need to become personalities — not just total numbers or kilo totals.

4️⃣ Team & League Formats

Head-to-head scoring.
Season standings.
Draft-style leagues.

5️⃣ Audience Education

Make viewers smarter so they appreciate the skill.

Because the truth is…

Olympic weightlifting is one of the most technically beautiful sports in existence.
Powerlifting is one of the purest strength tests ever created.

But purity and beauty don’t automatically create spectators.

My Perspective

As someone who has competed in strength sports for over 20 years, I’ve seen these worlds up close.

Each sport has value.

Bodybuilding sells aesthetics.
Strongman sells spectacle.
Olympic weightlifting sells precision and national pride.
Powerlifting sells mastery.

But mastery doesn’t automatically equal mass appeal.

So I’ll ask you:

If powerlifting — or even Olympic weightlifting outside the Olympics — has more athletes than fans…
Is that a problem?

Or is that what makes it special?

And if it is a problem…

How do we fix it?

I Want Your Take

Drop your thoughts in the comments:

Which sport do you think truly has the biggest fan base?
Does Olympic weightlifting only thrive because of the Olympics?
Why do you think powerlifting struggles to attract pure spectators?
What would you change?

Let’s actually have the conversation instead of pretending everything is growing equally.

If you care about strength sports — whether it’s bodybuilding, strongman, Olympic weightlifting, or powerlifting — share this article and tag someone who competes.

And if you’re a lifter who wants to not only compete but elevate your performance, brand, and long-term development…

Reach out. click here