Much like travel, sports connect us. Sports transcend languages, borders, and politics; they create community, by giving us shared stories, shared heroes, and shared heartbreaks. Sports remain one of the few things, like travel, that can continue to consistently bring people together—uniting cities, countries, and continents around a common goal.
Sports have always reflected the times; as the world changes, so do sports. How we watch and experience games is constantly advancing, shaped by new technologies, cultural shifts, global events, and the world around us. One phenomena has become clear: every major leap in sports history has come with a leap in how we move.
In a previous post, we explored how supersonic travel could change the game for international sports—from enabling faster turnarounds for athletes to unlocking tighter, more dynamic global competition schedules. But the impact of faster flight goes far deeper than logistics. To understand the full potential of supersonic speed in sports, we will look a bit deeper at how air travel enabled major historical shifts in soccer and baseball—literally changing the game—and examine how a supersonic leap in transportation will shape the future of sports.
How Air Travel Turned Soccer Into the World’s Game
Soccer is perhaps the greatest example of how air travel accelerated the globalization of sport, becoming the most-watched sport on the planet.
In the early decades of soccer (or football, depending on who you ask), limited travel options meant few teams outside of Europe and South America could realistically participate. That changed dramatically with the Jet Age: the 1958 World Cup in Sweden became the first where air travel was the primary mode of transport for players and officials—marking a turning point in accessibility for global teams. In Mexico in 1970, the first World Cup held outside Europe or South America took place, making it feasible for 16 teams from across continents to compete, while also drawing global media coverage and fans. Air travel would go on to fuel the rise of global leagues—like the Premier League and La Liga—as well as enable players to join clubs in distant countries.
Today, the World Cup features 48 nations and draws over five billion viewers worldwide. For the 2018 tournament in Russia, over one million international fans traveled to attend matches. By 2022’s tournament in Qatar, new records were set, with over 1.4 million international fans traveling to attend matches. More than 75% of World Cup athletes play for clubs outside their home countries. Soccer might not have taken such a strong root internationally without the global connectivity brought by air travel—and supersonic travel will drive its growth and uptake even farther.
While soccer is growing fast worldwide, the time and distance still limits how deeply fans can engage with the sport’s global culture. Supersonic travel will transform that. Imagine flying from Atlanta to Madrid for a Champions League semifinal and being back the next morning—or following your favorite club across international tournaments without losing days in transit. For players, tighter schedules will reduce jet lag and travel strain. For clubs, faster travel will support expanded tours, training camps, and fan engagement around the world.
By unlocking direct, real-time connection to the global game, supersonic flight has the potential to bring fans, players, and leagues closer together than ever before—fueling the next wave of soccer’s growth and global cultural impact.
How Commercial Aviation Reshaped the Exchange of Talent in Baseball
Would Major League Baseball have ever reached Japan—or welcomed players like Shohei Ohtani to the US—if it weren’t for modern flight?
It’s unlikely. Since the first Japanese MLB pitcher Masanori Murakami joined the San Francisco Giants in 1964, air travel has enabled cross-Pacific talent exchange, fan engagement, and league expansion. In 2023, MLB viewership in Japan grew by 13% year-over-year, largely driven by Japanese stars playing in U.S. markets and live broadcasts made possible by international scheduling and travel coordination. Today, Japanese players regularly fly to the U.S. to compete at the highest level, and American teams travel east for exhibition games and scouting.
Shohei Ohtani is the clearest symbol of baseball’s global era—his record-breaking $700 million Dodgers contract reflects not just talent, but worldwide appeal. When he joined MLB in 2018, Ohtani cited easy trans-Pacific travel as key to staying connected to Japan while pursuing his dream. He now regularly flies between continents for games and appearances, with MLB even opening its 2025 season in Tokyo. Stars like Ohtani show how aviation has bridged leagues and cultures, making global baseball possible.
Supersonic flight will rewrite the playbook again for Major League Baseball, reshaping everything from scouting to scheduling. Teams will more easily scout and recruit international talent, with front offices zipping between Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore in a single week. International series, like the MLB World Tour, will become a regular part of the season—not just one-off showcases—without derailing team rhythms or player recovery. Supersonic makes the world smaller and the season more dynamic—fueling a faster, more globally connected future for America’s pastime.
How American Football Will Go Global
The NFL has long dominated American sports—yet its international ambitions are just getting started. While broadcasts have helped build global curiosity, it’s the in-person games and athlete appearances abroad that are transforming football into a worldwide spectacle.
From regular-season games in London and Frankfurt to youth clinics and media events across continents, the league is beginning to lay the groundwork for a truly global presence. Momentum is building: the NFL now hosts five international games per season, with over one million fans attending NFL events abroad in 2023 alone. Countries like Germany and the UK have become major growth markets, with surging viewership and local fanbases that rival U.S. cities. With new NFL International Combine events and flag football programs in places like Brazil and Nigeria, the league is actively scouting and developing talent on a global scale.
Supersonic flight will be the unlock that takes football from export to everywhere. Imagine teams flying from New York to London and back in a single day for a regular-season game—no jet lag, no missed practice. International scouting will accelerate, with front offices hopping from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur midweek. Global superfans could catch a Sunday game in person without a week in transit. With the addition of a global league, football might move into a year-round sport. Supersonic speed doesn’t just make football faster—it makes its future borderless.
Global Fandom and the Economics of Sports Pride
Modern air travel didn’t just globalize sports for athletes—it changed the game for fans, too. Before jet travel, following your team abroad was nearly impossible. The Jet Age opened access to international tournaments, away games, and global tours—allowing fans to experience new sports cultures firsthand and strengthening loyalty across borders.
Today, fans routinely travel for live games. Americans flew to Qatar for the World Cup. Europeans attend NBA games in the U.S. Japanese fans follow Shohei Ohtani’s MLB season. Preseason tours like the NBA Global Games and Premier League’s U.S. series are only possible thanks to easy international travel.
And fan access drives serious economic impact. Take the following stats for example:
- Sports fans fuel a $600B+ global industry via ticket sales, media rights, sponsorships, and merch.
- In the U.S., sports tourism alone is a $40B+ market, with millions traveling for games and major events.
- On-site fans spend 8–10x more per event than remote viewers.
- Fans who attend games in person are 70% more likely to buy season tickets, merch, and streaming packages.
As more leagues look to expand globally, faster access becomes a competitive differentiator—for leagues, teams, and brands that want to win fans not just digitally, but physically. Supersonic flight will let a Premier League fan in Toronto fly to London and back in a day. NBA fans in London could watch the Miami Heat live Friday night and be home for Sunday brunch. Major events like the World Cup and Olympics will attract fans from farther away, turning once-in-a-lifetime trips into regular rituals.
Supersonic Will Unlock the Next Era of Sports
At Boom, we believe sport is more than a spectacle. It’s a cultural force. When sports travel faster, so does everything that connects us: identity, tradition, and global belonging. Overture will break down the geographic and logistical barriers that still limit how leagues expand, where athletes play, and how fans engage:
- A die-hard Manchester United fan could catch a Champions League match in London and still make it back to New York City in time for the Monday morning commute.
- A cricket fan could follow their team across continents—Delhi to Taipei to Brisbane—in the span of a week.
- College football’s biggest rivalries could attract global audiences: think London to Atlanta for a Saturday kickoff, back to the U.K. before the weekend ends.
- Supersonic speed will turn the Super Bowl into an international event, and a broader global schedule will enable fans to watch games live year-round.
But the impact goes beyond the fan experience. For athletes, faster travel means better recovery, less jet lag, and more time to train and prepare. For franchises, it enables global growth—more international games, greater access to emerging markets, and deeper connections with fans around the world, all without compromising player performance or season rhythm.
Looking ahead at the next major leap in travel, supersonic flight will spark the next major evolution in the global exchange of sports. This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about expanding access. Making international loyalty a lived experience, not a streamed one—bringing fan culture into a new, more connected era.
Thanks to Boom, a new chapter that will move both athletes and fans at supersonic speeds is fast approaching. Supersonic sports aren’t just imaginable—they’re imminent.
