It's a fun game that takes as few as 2 people (up to 4), is very social, challlenging (but not too hard-- and few people are actually GOOD at it), lowish learning curve, can be highly competitive or just for fun, and can be played for a few minutes at a time. What's not to like?
Who says it is popular with developers? Just because companies advertise it that doesn't mean people like it. It is a cheap way to get people to spend more time in the office and end up talking more about work.