spectator sport

noun3

1. •
   A sporting activity which has a relatively high ratio of watchers to direct participants.

   • Today harness racing is a $430 million-a-year business, the fastest-growing spectator sport in the U.S. — 1953
2. •
   Something, especially a process or activity, which is a popular object of observation; an activity which a person prefers to watch rather than to participate in.

   • Politics for me was strictly a spectator sport. — 1977
3. •
   An activity which consists of watching or observing.

   • Thompson, who's the digest's publisher, says bird watching is a hobby, a pastime and a spectator sport that can be enjoyed anywhere. — 2007