While cricket is worldwide the 2nd most popular sport, in the U.S. sports like Rugby are MUCH - MUCH bigger than cricket.
Why? They are shown on cable accessible to Americans. I have comcast, and last night I noticed a Rugby game being shown in TNT's channel.
Then I wondered, how American's love their own football and how Rugby can possibly find a market in U.S. still and cricket can't? Then it hit me like a brick wall. DirecTV have "EXCLUSIVE" rights for major ICC tournaments and IPL - which is basically all the cricket the world watches. And they hide it away in their "Cricket Ticket" pay package which sells for?
300 USD.
Just wanted to shed some light and see how many people agree with me. Here's kind of a very tiny example.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=2000205&topic=54512292
Non-cricket watchers Americans possibly others who love to play videogames (as its a site dedicated to videogames information) discussing the IPL3 final. In that message board, no other topics can be found regarding cricket.
Not even discussion of the T20 World Cup. Why? Its not free on youtube or on ESPN so they can't watch the T20 WC, and they aren't going to pay 300$ just to watch cricket when they don't have to pay half as much to watch the superbowl. Lalit Modi got ESPN in India to show cricket in 1996..and he set up the Youtube deal - The man knows how to spread cricket in new areas, though unfortunately, he's now facing lawsuits just like that other promoter of t20 cricket in US who is currently in jail. Haha!
In my opinion, I can just say cricket is always going to be a myth among Americans until ESPN snatches the license away from Direct/Dish :)