2024 Sports Calendar — Major Sporting Events This Year

Whatever the time of day or year may be, you can be pretty sure that some sort of sport is taking place around the world. And with the barrage of sporting events that happen throughout the year, there are tons of opportunities for entertainment. But these events aren't just for sport lovers. Bettors also jump on these events as a pastime activity.

As you'd expect, the sheer number of available sporting events translates to a similar number of betting options. Want to know what's available when? Check out our handy guide here, valuable to expert bettors and newcomers alike, which offers a month-by-month overview of major betting events throughout the year.

January - NFL Playoffs, Australian Open, Royal Rumble

The NFL Playoffs, the Australian Open, and the Royal Rumble are all popular events that usher in the new year in January. For the NFL playoffs, this event kicks off immediately after the regular NFL season ends. It ends with the Super Bowl - the league's extremely popular championship game.

Tennis lovers will also look forward to this month, with the various games coming from the Australian Open. Held every January at the Melbourne Park complex, the Australian Open is the most attended Grand Slam, and the 2024 edition recorded an attendance of 1,110,657. In that same tournament, Janik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka respectively won the men's and women's singles titles. This event also featured the men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles games.

Aside from the NFL playoffs and Australian Open, the Royal Rumble is another heavily anticipated event that arrives in January. The 2024 edition of this professional wrestling event happened on January 27, 2024, at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Bayley won the women's game, while Cody Rhodes was the victor of the men's game.

February - Super Bowl, Six Nations, MLS Season Kickoff

When it's February, you know it's time for the Super Bowl. This sporting event is one of the most watched in the world, with the 2024 game clocking over 123 million viewers. As the concluding game of the NFL season, many bettors jumped on the event by backing their favorite teams to win. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 at the Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, on February 11, 2024, to be crowned champions. As you'd expect, the next Super Bowl will be held in February 2025, and the Chiefs will be looking to secure a third consecutive Super Bowl title.

Another tournament that occurs in February is the Six Nations Championship. Rugby lovers get to see six nations (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales) battle it out for the title. Ireland won the most recent edition and reclaimed the title in doing so. It'll be interesting to see if they can win it again next year.

There's also space for some soccer in February, and this is when the MLS season gets underway. The 2024 Major League Soccer season began on February 21, and its regular season will continue until December 2024. You'll find odds for the MLS all year round at Bally Bet, whether you're looking to bet on the outright winner of the league or just an individual game or two.

March - March Madness, MLB Opening Day

College basketball excitement really reaches its zenith with March Madness. The tournament brings together the best and biggest college basketball teams as they compete for the title. As the name suggests, the campaign for the NCAA Basketball Championship starts in March every year, a tradition the league has kept to since its debut in 1939. After many memorable performances, the 2024 tournament concluded with the UConn Huskies defeating the Purdue Boilermakers to win the March Madness title. Expect numerous exciting performances in the next edition.

If you’re a baseball fan, then you’ll be interested in the MLB Opening Day. It's the day when the regular season starts, and it regularly falls on a day in March. March 24 was the opening day for the MLB in 2024, and most of the teams saw action. For 2025, Opening Day is slated for March 27.

April - The Masters, NCAA Basketball Championship Final

The Masters Tournament takes place in April at the Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, and it's usually the first major golf tournament of the year. The 2024 tournament ran from April 11-14, and it saw Scottie Scheffler claim his second Masters win. His first was in 2022, when he finished three strokes ahead of Rory Mcllroy. If you're a golf enthusiast, why not start for the 2025 Masters tournament, which is scheduled for April 7-13?

Hot on the heels of March Madness, the NCAA Basketball Championship final was held in April, and the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament final also took place in April, where South Carolina defeated Iowa 87-75.

May - PGA Championship, French Open

May is a month golf fans will want to keep an eye on, as that's when the PGA tournament will tee off. It's one of the four major golf championships held yearly in the USA after the Masters. The 2024 edition was scheduled to be held between May 16 and 19 at the Valhalla Golf Course in Kentucky. Ardent tennis followers will be getting excited about the return of the Roland-Garros, otherwise known as the French Open. This event is one of the major Grand Slams and it's held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, every May.

June - Stanley Cup, Copa America, U.S. Open, T20 World Cup, NBA Finals

Those among us who enjoy hockey will be looking forward to June, and that's because that's when the Stanley Cup final arrives. Following a taxing postseason with games across both conferences, the winners of each face each other for their shot at the ultimate accolade, the Stanley Cup.

More sporting events are set to be held in June 2024. Turning to soccer, the U.S. will host the Copa America from June 21 until July 15, 2024. The USMNT will be up against 15 other sides, including the formidable Brazil and Argentina. The last edition was in 2021, and that was when Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 in the final, courtesy of a goal from Angel Di Maria, to become champions. Six CONCACAF countries, with the U.S. being one of them, have made this tournament following a new strategic partnership between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF.

Moving from football to basketball, the NBA finals are held in June in a best-of-seven game series between the Eastern and Western Conference champions that wraps up the NBA season. Also, the third major golf championship, the U.S. Open, is held in the United States in June after the Masters and PGA tournaments. The 2024 edition is scheduled for the middle of June at Pinehurst Resort. You can also follow the T20 World Cup if you're a cricket fan, as the West Indies and United States co-host the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in June.

July - Wimbledon, Olympics, The Open Championship, MLB All-Star Game

Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam tournament on the list after the Australian Open and French Open, and in 2024 it will run from July 1 to July 14. The final major golf tournament of the year, the Open Championship, is also held in July at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. At the end of the 2024 edition on July 21, you'll be able to see whether another golfer overtakes 2023 champion Brian Harman.

If you prefer baseball, July has something in store for you. The 2024 MLB All-Star game takes place on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Furthermore, July will also play host to one of the biggest sporting events in the world: the Olympics. Having last been held in 2020 in Tokyo, the 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris between July 26 and August 11. It's the perfect time of year to back your favorite athletes to win their various competitions.

August - U.S. Open, Paralympics, FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup

August 2024 also promises to provide some thrilling sporting events. One of them is the FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup, which will commence on August 31, as Colombia hosts 23 other countries.

Away from soccer, the U.S. Open is one of the most anticipated tournaments among tennis fans. It's the concluding Grand Slam tournament after the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. If you plan to be a part of the U.S. Open as a spectator or fan, the tournament commences on August 26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Besides these sports, there's the 2024 Summer Paralympics, which begins on August 28 in Paris and ends on September 8.

September - Davis Cup Finals, Laver Cup, Presidents Cup, NFL, UEFA Champions League, Solheim Cup

September is a big month for golf fans, with the Presidents Cup (September 24-26) and Solheim Cup (September 13-15) both getting underway at this time of year. But it's also the month that sees the long-awaited return of the NFL regular season. The first game will be held on September 5.

This month also offers exciting tennis competitions, namely the Davis Cup Finals and the Laver Cup. Berlin will be the venue for the 2024 Laver Cup, which starts on September 20 and concludes on September 22. The group stages for the Davis Cup Finals will run from September 10-15. Additionally, UEFA Champions League soccer returns this month. It begins September 17 under a new 36-team league phase format.

October - World Series, Shanghai Masters, U-17 Women's World Cup, NHL, NBA

One of the most important tournaments in October is the World Series. The MLB postseason commences in October to usher in the World Series, which has the potential to run until November 2. The Shanghai Masters is another tournament to watch out for. Normally held every year in Shanghai, and featuring top tennis players, this is the second year of the tournament since China lifted its travel restrictions, which prevented the tournament from going ahead between 2020 to 2022. The 2024 edition of this tournament will be held between October 2 and 13 at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

A range of soccer events are also available throughout October. Between October 16 and November 3, the Dominican Republic will host the U-17 Women's World Cup, where 16 teams go head-to-head for the prestigious title.

The 2024-25 NHL season starts in October too, and it marks the 107th season of the league. As part of the 2024 NHL Global Series, the Buffalo Sabres and the New Jersey Devils will get the show on the road in Prague, Czech Republic.

The NBA returns for its 79th season in October as well. Following a long offseason that starts in June, the new regular season will resume in October and run until April 2025.

November - Melbourne Cup, WTA Finals, ATP Finals, NBA Cup

If you're in the market for an annual horse racing event to bet on, the Melbourne Cup may be worth looking into. It's one of the richest turf races involving Group 1 thoroughbred horses. The event is held at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. In the 2023 edition, jockey Mark Zahra rode Without a Fight to victory.

This same month, tennis tournaments like the WTA and ATP Finals will play out. The WTA Tour concludes with the WTA Finals, which is the most popular tennis event in the women's calendar after the Grand Slam. The 2024 WTA Finals have been scheduled for November 2-9. Like the WTA Finals, the ATP Finals is the most significant tennis event in the men's calendar after the Grand Slam. The 2024 ATP Finals will run from November 10-17 in Turin, Italy.

For the second consecutive year, the NBA plans to hold an in-season tournament, now branded the NBA Cup. The LA Lakers won the inaugural edition in 2023 that saw LeBron James named MVP.

December - MLS CUP, Volleyball Club World Championship, IWF World Championships

If you’re a soccer fan, the MLS Cup is a must-watch. This event rounds off the MLS season that started in February, and the winner of the Eastern Conference plays against that of the Western Conference following a string of playoffs that commenced in October. The Columbus Crew won the last edition in 2023, beating Los Angeles F.C. 2-1.

One of the most enjoyable sporting events to wager on in December is the Volleyball World Championships for the Men's and the Women's Clubs. The Men's Club tournament has been scheduled for December 10-15 in Bangalore, India, with eight teams gunning for glory. Similarly, the Women's Club tournament will see eight teams battle it out from December 17-22. Furthermore, the International Weightlifting Federation will oversee the World Weightlifting Championship in Manama, Bahrain. If you're a fan of this sport, look out for the tournament taking place on December 4. It runs until the 14th.

2024 has already been a very exciting sporting year that's seen a number of events unfolding. But with many more events to come, there are still plenty of chances to get involved in the fun. And there's no better place to do that than with Bally Bet.

One last note, be aware that some sporting events do occur throughout the year, but without a fixed date. For instance, there are usually no offseason UFC bouts, as they can occur year-round.

The total number of Grand Prix races may vary from year to year too, and the betting excitement Formula 1 brings means it really should be on your radar.