Which NFL team has the best fans? That’s a difficult question to answer.
Emory University professor Michael Lewis tried, though, and his findings will please folks in New England.
Using a two-pronged study that factored in both ticket sales and social media reach, Lewis determined the Patriots have the NFL’s best fans. They dethroned the Dallas Cowboys, who held the top spot in Lewis’ previous study.
“We have a new number one on the list: the New England Patriots,” Lewis wrote in his report, “followed by the Cowboys, Broncos, 49ers and Eagles. The Patriots’ victory is driven by fans’ willingness to pay premium prices, strong attendance and phenomenal social media following.
“The final competition between the Cowboys and the Patriots was actually determined by the long-term value of the Patriots’ greater social following. The Patriots have about 2.4 million Twitter followers, compared to 1.7 for the Cowboys. Of course, this is all relative — a team like the Jaguars has just 340 thousand followers.”
Which teams scored lowest on Lewis’ scale, which he called a measure of “Dynamic Fan Equity”? The aforementioned Jacksonville Jaguars sat at the very bottom of the list, which isn’t much of a surprise.
The two franchises that ranked directly above them, however, were rather unexpected. That would be the Oakland Raiders (31st) and Kansas City Chiefs (30th), two teams known for having highly passionate fanbases.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
