During the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19, sports gamblers and avid sports fans took to the stock market.
The lack of sports caused the sports community to shift their focus onto the stock market as the lockdowns forced the country to stay at home.
As the summer went by, more sports started making their way back. The NBA, MLB, and NFL have conducted successful seasons despite the unprecedented circumstances.
However, even with the comeback of sports, the interest in the stock market has remained. With the rise in popularity of sports, there are many ways to invest in the stock market while still being in the sports atmosphere.
This article is not an article stemmed from countless hours of research into stocks. The purpose is to provide general knowledge about stocks in each sector. Whether it is the NFL, NBA, or sports gambling stocks, there are ways to invest in each sport.
Here are the best sports stocks in each professional sports league across the United States.
Sports stocks: The rise of gambling, DFS
One of the fastest-growing industries in the country is the sports gambling market. In May of 2018, the Supreme Court made sports gambling legal and the industry has been rapidly growing ever since.
The stock market experts have taken a great interest in the industry, especially Penn National Gaming. PENN bought 36% of Barstool at the beginning of the year. The anticipation is the partnership will propel the company’s sports betting audience.
The Barstool sportsbook app recently launched in early fall and, according to Roundhill investments, the app reached $4.8 million in revenue in October. It accounted for 12% of the total online revenue market share.
Another anticipated partnership is between Michael Jordan and DraftKings. The NBA’s all-time greatest player will serve to offer advice on strategy. DKNG will serve to benefit from this partnership. The company’s shares soared after the announcement in September.
| Symbol | Company Name | Price (as of market close 1/7/2021) |
| PENN | Penn National Gaming Inc | $87.50 |
| DKNG | Draftkings Inc | $49.77 |
| BYD | Boyd Gaming Corp | $47.03 |
| CHDN | Churchill Downs Inc | $210.25 |
NBA Stocks
The NBA has a unique capability of creating brands that no other sports athlete has been able to create. Athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James have created unparalleled brands.
Two of the greatest basketball players of all time are what puts Nike on this list. The Jordan Brand is under the umbrella of Nike and has created an empire of infamous Jordan shoes.
Similarly, Nike inked James to a lifetime contract and now has the greatest player of today’s era under contract for his lifetime. James has successfully created a destiny off the court, and Nike will benefit from the partnership for years to come.
Under Armour is now trying to mimic the sneaker giant, Nike. It was recently announced that star point guard, Stephen Curry, will launch his own brand with UA, similar to the Jordan Brand’s relationship with Nike.
| Symbol | Company Name | Price (as of market close 1/7/2021) |
| NKE | Nike Inc | $144.95 |
| TTWO | Take-Two Interactive Software Inc | $208.01 |
| FL | Foot Locker | $43.94 |
| UAA | Under Armour Inc | $18.03 |
Sports stocks: NFL remains powerful, despite decline in TV viewership
The 2020 NFL season saw its ratings take a hit this past year. Due to postponements of games due to COVID-19 protocols, teams find themselves playing Tuesday or Wednesday games, and these bizarre circumstances have resulted in the decline of ratings.
Nevertheless, even if viewership may be down compared to previous seasons, the talk-shows about NFL are still popular, and ESPN relies heavily on their NFL shows ratings among Monday Night Football. The media conglomerate has always had a dominating presence on television and is now establishing a presence on social media and Youtube.
ESPN is a branch under Walt Disney Co, and therefore investing in DIS offers more than just ESPN. DIS offers versatility in several entertainment fields. For example, Disney streaming service, Disney +, has over 50 million subscribers, and the number continues to grow.
Madden NFL 21: Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 Preview, and more
In the time of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, many have taken to gaming. Gaming has been on the rise in recent years but has become extremely popular now more than ever.
One of the beneficiaries is Electronic sports, otherwise known as EA or EA sports. EA creates the Madden video games series, which is one of the most popular sports game in 2020.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still relevant, EA stock is a stock with great potential.
| Symbol | Company Name | Price (as of market close 1/7/2021) |
| DIS | Walt Disney Co | $178.58 |
| EA | Electronic Arts | $140.74 |
| PEP | PepsiCo Inc | $142.47 |
| ADDYY | Adidas AG | $178.22 |