North America’s Favorite Franchises (NFL - NBA - MLB - NHL & by State)

Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player

From sporting events that appeal to global audiences, such as the annual NFL Super Bowl Championship, to the more niche sports of Quadball (otherwise known as Quidditch for you Harry Potter fans), there really is something for everyone.

The national leagues of football, basketball, hockey and baseball, known as the ‘Big Four’ are currently all billion-dollar industries. As a result, it is fair to say that North America has cemented itself as a sporting giant.

Betting Sites now offer so many opportunities to get involved in the world of sports, but with over 100 sports franchises to choose from within the Big Four leagues, it can be tricky to know who to back - luckily the team here at OLBG has got you covered!

Using a combination of search data, social followings, Youtube subscriber counts and fan attendance statistics we have made a list of the most popular sports franchises across America and Canada.

The Most Popular Sports Franchises In North America

Below is a list of Big Four leagues' most sought-after sports franchises. With 124 franchises in America and Canada, we have ranked them based on their social popularity and attendance.

Rank	Team	Location	Fan Attendance	YouTube Subscribers	Average Social Followers	Search Volume	Franchise Popularity Score /10	League
1	Golden State Warriors	California	18,064	2,010,000	17,966,667	38,400,000	6.37	NBA
2	Dallas Cowboys	Texas	93,594	399,000	4,466,667	79,200,000	6.02	NFL
3	Kansas City Chiefs	Missouri	70,968	649,000	3,133,333	48,000,000	4.53	NFL
4	Los Angeles Lakers	California	18,925	675,000	19,566,667	9,876,000	4.03	NBA
5	Philadelphia Eagles	Pennsylvania	69,878	542,000	3,733,333	28,800,000	3.84	NFL
6	Detroit Lions	Michigan	64,850	194,000	1,633,333	52,800,000	3.75	NFL
7	Green Bay Packers	Wisconsin	77,829	161,000	3,400,000	28,800,000	3.54	NFL
8	Buffalo Bills	New York	69,609	157,000	1,566,667	37,200,000	3.33	NFL
9	Pittsburgh Steelers	Pennsylvania	66,977	259,000	4,400,000	22,800,000	3.30	NFL
10	San Francisco 49ers	California	71,655	367,000	3,366,667	16,800,000	3.24	NFL
11	Miami Heat	Florida	19,750	150,000	8,566,667	49,200,000	3.22	NBA
12	Miami Dolphins	Florida	65,922	147,000	1,766,667	36,000,000	3.21	NFL
13	Chicago Bears	Illinois	61,769	200,000	2,433,333	34,800,000	3.20	NFL
14	Denver Broncos	Colorado	76,388	147,000	2,600,000	22,800,000	3.19	NFL
15	New York Giants	New York	79,307	216,000	2,700,000	15,600,000	3.14	NFL
16	Cleveland Browns	Ohio	67,810	279,000	1,433,333	24,000,000	3.00	NFL
17	New England Patriots	Massachusetts	63,018	258,000	5,266,667	13,200,000	2.99	NFL
18	Baltimore Ravens	Maryland	70,597	284,000	2,100,000	16,800,000	2.94	NFL
19	Minnesota Vikings	Minnesota	66,913	289,000	1,633,333	19,200,000	2.86	NFL
20	Seattle Seahawks	Washington	68,735	258,000	3,100,000	9,496,800	2.75	NFL
21	Atlanta Falcons	Georgia	69,603	186,000	1,866,667	13,200,000	2.64	NFL
22	Boston Celtics	Massachusetts	19,156	201,000	7,100,000	34,800,000	2.61	NBA
23	Carolina Panthers	North Carolina	71,635	134,000	2,333,333	10,467,600	2.61	NFL
24	New York Jets	New York	77,890	139,000	1,366,667	8,587,200	2.61	NFL
25	Houston Texans	Texas	71,193	98,600	1,933,333	13,200,000	2.59	NFL
26	Las Vegas Raiders	Nevada	62,190	281,000	2,466,667	10,809,600	2.56	NFL
27	Chicago Bulls	Illinois	20,625	303,000	10,266,667	14,400,000	2.55	NBA
28	New Orleans Saints	Louisiana	70,020	129,000	2,466,667	8,649,600	2.52	NFL
29	Washington Commanders	Washington	63,950	263,000	1,400,000	12,000,000	2.48	NFL
30	Atlanta Braves	Georgia	39,401	147,000	1,966,667	34,800,000	2.45	MLB
31	Los Angeles Chargers	California	69,736	332,000	1,200,000	2,917,200	2.42	NFL
32	Los Angeles Rams	California	73,150	139,000	1,300,000	3,888,000	2.32	NFL
33	Texas Rangers	Texas	31,272	41,600	1,600,000	43,200,000	2.31	MLB
34	Cincinnati Bengals	Ohio	66,040	127,000	1,500,000	8,733,600	2.28	NFL
35	Los Angeles Dodgers	California	47,371	306,000	3,466,667	9,441,600	2.26	MLB
36	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Florida	63,756	211,000	1,300,000	7,438,800	2.25	NFL
37	New York Yankees	New York	40,862	169,000	5,100,000	12,000,000	2.20	MLB
38	Jacksonville Jaguars	Florida	69,031	93,400	810,733	7,344,000	2.19	NFL
39	Chicago Cubs	Illinois	34,261	237,000	2,566,667	22,800,000	2.11	MLB
40	Tennessee Titans	Tennessee	64,520	66,500	983,000	8,785,200	2.10	NFL
41	Dallas Mavericks	Texas	20,217	156,000	3,900,000	32,400,000	2.10	NBA
42	Arizona Cardinals	Arizona	62,864	81,200	1,166,667	7,302,000	2.05	NFL
43	Indianapolis Colts	Indiana	65,230	79,600	1,363,667	3,277,200	2.01	NFL
44	Houston Astros	Texas	37,683	81,900	1,733,333	24,000,000	1.94	MLB
45	Cleveland Cavaliers	Ohio	19,432	53,500	9,200,000	10,642,800	1.94	NBA
46	Milwaukee Bucks	Wyoming	17,659	449,000	3,400,000	20,400,000	1.94	NBA
47	Denver Nuggets	Colorado	19,684	129,000	2,200,000	34,800,000	1.90	NBA
48	Toronto Blue Jays	Toronto	37,307	66,800	1,966,667	21,600,000	1.87	MLB
49	Houston Rockets	Texas	17,562	115,000	8,166,667	9,337,200	1.79	NBA
50	Boston Red Sox	Massachusetts	32,989	111,000	3,066,667	11,947,200	1.64	MLB
51	Sacramento Kings	California	17,927	313,000	3,566,667	11,679,600	1.52	NBA
52	Toronto Maple Leafs	Toronto	18,789	143,000	1,600,000	25,200,000	1.51	NHL
53	Orlando Magic	Florida	18,849	429,000	2,066,667	10,201,200	1.45	NBA
54	Philadelphia Phillies	Pennsylvania	38,157	71,000	1,666,667	8,540,400	1.44	MLB
55	San Antonio Spurs	Texas	18,211	114,000	5,133,333	9,477,600	1.42	NBA
56	Seattle Mariners	Washington	33,215	55,300	945,433	15,600,000	1.42	MLB
57	San Diego Padres	California	40,389	126,000	961,900	5,762,400	1.39	MLB
58	New York Mets	New York	32,994	128,000	1,400,000	10,239,600	1.39	MLB
59	Milwaukee Brewers	Wyoming	31,497	41,800	800,533	15,600,000	1.33	MLB
60	St. Louis Cardinals	Missouri	40,013	81,100	1,566,667	3,201,600	1.32	MLB
61	Cincinnati Reds	Ohio	25,164	34,300	1,018,667	19,200,000	1.29	MLB
62	Oklahoma City Thunder	Oklahoma	17,451	136,000	4,966,667	5,551,200	1.28	NBA
63	New York Knicks	New York	19,729	110,000	4,000,000	8,430,000	1.27	NBA
64	San Francisco Giants	California	30,866	120,000	1,966,667	6,225,600	1.26	MLB
65	Detroit Tigers	Michigan	20,946	34,100	1,560,333	19,200,000	1.24	MLB
66	Toronto Raptors	Toronto	19,515	162,000	3,033,333	9,379,200	1.24	NBA
67	Phoenix Suns	Arizona	17,071	74,500	2,466,667	16,800,000	1.22	NBA
68	Los Angeles Clippers	California	18,946	199,000	3,766,667	4,346,400	1.20	NBA
69	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal	21,099	187,000	1,357,667	11,630,400	1.17	NHL
70	Baltimore Orioles	Maryland	23,911	65,600	931,300	15,600,000	1.17	MLB
71	Edmonton Oilers	Edmonton	19,173	85,100	865,133	18,000,000	1.12	NHL
72	Minnesota Timberwolves	Minnesota	17,584	83,700	2,300,000	13,200,000	1.11	NBA
73	Utah Jazz	Utah	18,206	165,000	1,966,667	9,894,000	1.08	NBA
74	Boston Bruins	Massachusetts	17,850	43,100	1,800,000	15,600,000	1.08	NHL
75	Brooklyn Nets	New York	17,568	125,000	3,300,000	6,205,200	1.07	NBA
76	Los Angeles Angels	California	32,599	66,400	1,300,000	2,890,800	1.05	MLB
77	Philadelphia 76ers	Pennsylvania	20,042	70,700	2,866,667	7,116,000	1.04	NBA
78	Cleveland Guardians	Ohio	23,513	28,700	998,333	12,000,000	1.00	MLB
79	Pittsburgh Penguins	Pennsylvania	17,909	64,900	2,200,000	9,940,800	0.98	NHL
80	Vancouver Canucks	Vancouver	18,826	120,000	931,333	12,000,000	0.98	NHL
81	Minnesota Twins	Minnesota	24,371	34,600	797,900	10,509,600	0.96	MLB
82	Detroit Pistons	Michigan	18,159	62,900	1,500,000	10,986,000	0.93	NBA
83	Indiana Pacers	Indiana	16,526	62,400	2,600,000	7,453,200	0.91	NBA
84	Colorado Rockies	Colorado	32,196	13,400	683,067	3,288,000	0.91	MLB
85	Portland Trail Blazers	Oregon	18,327	109,000	2,266,667	5,210,400	0.91	NBA
86	Pittsburgh Pirates	Pennsylvania	20,131	34,200	919,233	12,000,000	0.90	MLB
87	New Orleans Pelicans	Louisiana	17,301	148,000	1,966,667	5,420,400	0.89	NBA
88	Arizona Diamondbacks	Arizona	24,212	30,600	704,300	8,960,400	0.89	MLB
89	Detroit Red Wings	Michigan	18,980	61,900	1,314,667	9,802,800	0.89	NHL
90	Chicago Blackhawks	Illinois	18,836	93,200	2,200,000	4,922,400	0.88	NHL
91	Memphis Grizzlies	Tennessee	16,631	87,500	1,866,667	7,437,600	0.85	NBA
92	Atlanta Hawks	Georgia	16,986	73,300	1,900,000	7,485,600	0.85	NBA
93	Dallas Stars	Texas	18,532	32,000	744,000	11,640,000	0.82	NHL
94	Washington Wizards	Washington	16,899	57,900	2,533,333	4,670,400	0.82	NBA
95	Florida Panthers	Florida	18,632	139,000	418,167	7,377,600	0.78	NHL
96	New York Rangers	New York	17,983	54,400	1,433,333	6,721,200	0.77	NHL
97	Colorado Avalanche	Colorado	18,103	52,800	738,900	9,435,600	0.76	NHL
98	Chicago White Sox	Illinois	21,405	45,500	1,054,333	3,985,200	0.72	MLB
99	Charlotte Hornets	North Carolina	16,449	27,900	1,766,667	5,847,600	0.71	NBA
100	Tampa Bay Rays	Florida	17,781	21,700	664,200	9,153,600	0.70	MLB
101	Washington Nationals	Washington	23,034	17,000	744,267	3,336,000	0.67	MLB
102	Tampa Bay Lightning	Florida	19,092	31,000	745,367	5,311,200	0.63	NHL
103	Vegas Golden Knights	Nevada	18,139	36,200	605,100	6,248,400	0.63	NHL
104	Washington Capitals	Washington	17,841	58,200	856,667	4,364,400	0.62	NHL
105	Minnesota Wild	Minnesota	18,526	52,500	670,300	4,339,200	0.61	NHL
106	Carolina Hurricanes	North Carolina	18,798	18,400	477,833	6,102,000	0.60	NHL
107	Philadelphia Flyers	Pennsylvania	18,438	32,500	1,082,667	3,015,600	0.59	NHL
108	Calgary Flames	Calgary	17,501	25,200	516,133	5,516,400	0.56	NHL
109	Buffalo Sabres	New York	15,981	37,300	638,867	5,133,600	0.54	NHL
110	Ottawa Senators	Ottawa	17,580	31,200	440,433	4,762,800	0.54	NHL
111	Seattle Kraken	Washington	17,887	69,600	393,800	3,106,800	0.53	NHL
112	Kansas City Royals	Missouri	16,136	27,700	1,100,000	2,738,400	0.51	MLB
113	Los Angeles Kings	California	17,945	44,000	900,667	1,213,200	0.51	NHL
114	Winnipeg Jets	Winnipeg	13,490	29,400	497,000	6,860,400	0.49	NHL
115	New Jersey Devils	New York	17,598	37,700	598,500	2,352,000	0.49	NHL
116	St. Louis Blues	Missouri	18,084	39,400	762,533	668,400	0.47	NHL
117	Miami Marlins	Florida	14,355	11,300	642,033	5,046,000	0.46	MLB
118	Nashville Predators	Tennessee	17,306	7,120	517,333	2,602,800	0.44	NHL
119	New York Islanders	New York	18,099	7,750	461,367	1,596,000	0.42	NHL
120	Columbus Blue Jackets	Ohio	17,016	28,900	428,933	1,462,800	0.41	NHL
121	San Jose Sharks	California	13,559	36,700	761,033	2,600,400	0.40	NHL
122	Anaheim Ducks	California	15,687	24,300	509,900	2,223,600	0.40	NHL
123	Oakland Athletics	California	10,275	21,800	628,200	2,642,400	0.28	MLB
124	Arizona Coyotes	Arizona	4,600	17,100	359,533	2,306,400	0.06	NHL

1. Golden State Warriors, NBA - Popularity score of 6.37 /10

Of all the Big Four leagues, a Basketball team is the most popular sports franchise in North America. The Golden State Warriors, who reside in California, have a popularity score of 6.37 out of 10, and they can thank their large following on YouTube as a substantial reason for their table-topping exploits.

2. Dallas Cowboys, NFL - Popularity score of 6.02 /10

Second, it is a Football team that plays the role of runner-up behind the Golden State Warriors. Residing in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys have come out with a popularity score of 6.02 out of a possible 10, and based on their nickname of ‘America’s Team,’ it is clear that they have a place in the heart of many.

3. Kansas City Chiefs, NFL - Popularity score of 4.53 /10

With the four Superbowl wins to their name - including the last two editions of the NFL's showpiece event, it seems that the recurring global coverage may have catapulted the Kansas City Chiefs into the limelight as they complete the top three in our list of the most popular sports franchises in North America.

MLB’s Most Popular Franchises

MLB baseball giant

As the oldest major sports league in the world, MLB has cemented itself as a baseball giant! With teams in 29 US states and the Canadian city of Toronto, there are baseball opportunities all over North America, but which of these teams is currently the most popular?

Rank	Team	Location	Fan Attendance	YouTube Subscribers	Average Social Followers	Search Volume	Franchise Popularity Score /10
1	Atlanta Braves	Georgia	39,401	147,000	1,966,667	34,800,000	2.45
2	Texas Rangers	Texas	31,272	41,600	1,600,000	43,200,000	2.31
3	Los Angeles Dodgers	California	47,371	306,000	3,466,667	9,441,600	2.26
4	New York Yankees	New York	40,862	169,000	5,100,000	12,000,000	2.20
5	Chicago Cubs	Illinois	34,261	237,000	2,566,667	22,800,000	2.11
6	Houston Astros	Texas	37,683	81,900	1,733,333	24,000,000	1.94
7	Toronto Blue Jays	Toronto	37,307	66,800	1,966,667	21,600,000	1.87
8	Boston Red Sox	Massachusetts	32,989	111,000	3,066,667	11,947,200	1.64
9	Philadelphia Phillies	Pennsylvania	38,157	71,000	1,666,667	8,540,400	1.44
10	Seattle Mariners	Washington	33,215	55,300	945,433	15,600,000	1.42
11	San Diego Padres	California	40,389	126,000	961,900	5,762,400	1.39
12	New York Mets	New York	32,994	128,000	1,400,000	10,239,600	1.39
13	Milwaukee Brewers	Wyoming	31,497	41,800	800,533	15,600,000	1.33
14	St. Louis Cardinals	Missouri	40,013	81,100	1,566,667	3,201,600	1.32
15	Cincinnati Reds	Ohio	25,164	34,300	1,018,667	19,200,000	1.29
16	San Francisco Giants	California	30,866	120,000	1,966,667	6,225,600	1.26
17	Detroit Tigers	Michigan	20,946	34,100	1,560,333	19,200,000	1.24
18	Baltimore Orioles	Maryland	23,911	65,600	931,300	15,600,000	1.17
19	Los Angeles Angels	California	32,599	66,400	1,300,000	2,890,800	1.05
20	Cleveland Guardians	Ohio	23,513	28,700	998,333	12,000,000	1.00
21	Minnesota Twins	Minnesota	24,371	34,600	797,900	10,509,600	0.96
22	Colorado Rockies	Colorado	32,196	13,400	683,067	3,288,000	0.91
23	Pittsburgh Pirates	Pennsylvania	20,131	34,200	919,233	12,000,000	0.90
24	Arizona Diamondbacks	Arizona	24,212	30,600	704,300	8,960,400	0.89
25	Chicago White Sox	Illinois	21,405	45,500	1,054,333	3,985,200	0.72
26	Tampa Bay Rays	Florida	17,781	21,700	664,200	9,153,600	0.70
27	Washington Nationals	Washington	23,034	17,000	744,267	3,336,000	0.67
28	Kansas City Royals	Missouri	16,136	27,700	1,100,000	2,738,400	0.51
29	Miami Marlins	Florida	14,355	11,300	642,033	5,046,000	0.46
30	Oakland Athletics	California	10,275	21,800	628,200	2,642,400	0.28

1. Atlanta Braves - Popularity score of 2.45 /10

With a score of 2.45 /10, the Atlanta Braves top this list as the current most popular MLB team. Indicators of their popularity include the fact that they have 147,000 YouTube subscribers at the time of writing and have collected a volume of nearly 35,000,000 searches in the past year. These two metrics have played a substantial role in the Braves coming out on top.

2. Texas Rangers - Popularity score of 2.31 /10

Second in the list of MLB favourites, the Texas Rangers take this silver medal in terms of the most popular baseball franchises. Playing their home games at Globe Life Field, they amassed an average home attendance of 31,272, and when added to the internet search volume of 43,200,000, they are keeping the Braves hot on their heels.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers - Popularity score of 2.26 /10

Completing the top three are the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a popularity score of 2.26 /10. One aspect worth mentioning is their 306,000 YouTube subscribers at the time of writing. Add this to an average social following of 3,466,667 over the three platforms and their popularity can be considered a home run in MLB circles.

MLB Preview & Betting Guide

NBA’s Most Popular Franchises

Despite being a newer addition to the Big Four leagues, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has certainly made its mark within the sporting industry. NBA players are currently among the top highest-paid athletes, and this is due to sponsorships and endorsements resulting from the widespread popularity of this sport.

Rank	Team	Location	Fan Attendance	YouTube Subscribers	Average Social Followers	Search Volume	Franchise Popularity Score /10
1	Golden State Warriors	California	18,064	2,010,000	17,966,667	38,400,000	6.37
2	Los Angeles Lakers	California	18,925	675,000	19,566,667	9,876,000	4.03
3	Miami Heat	Florida	19,750	150,000	8,566,667	49,200,000	3.22
4	Boston Celtics	Massachusetts	19,156	201,000	7,100,000	34,800,000	2.61
5	Chicago Bulls	Illinois	20,625	303,000	10,266,667	14,400,000	2.55
6	Dallas Mavericks	Texas	20,217	156,000	3,900,000	32,400,000	2.10
7	Cleveland Cavaliers	Ohio	19,432	53,500	9,200,000	10,642,800	1.94
8	Milwaukee Bucks	Wyoming	17,659	449,000	3,400,000	20,400,000	1.94
9	Denver Nuggets	Colorado	19,684	129,000	2,200,000	34,800,000	1.90
10	Houston Rockets	Texas	17,562	115,000	8,166,667	9,337,200	1.79
11	Sacramento Kings	California	17,927	313,000	3,566,667	11,679,600	1.52
12	Orlando Magic	Florida	18,849	429,000	2,066,667	10,201,200	1.45
13	San Antonio Spurs	Texas	18,211	114,000	5,133,333	9,477,600	1.42
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Oklahoma	17,451	136,000	4,966,667	5,551,200	1.28
15	New York Knicks	New York	19,729	110,000	4,000,000	8,430,000	1.27
16	Toronto Raptors	Toronto	19,515	162,000	3,033,333	9,379,200	1.24
17	Phoenix Suns	Arizona	17,071	74,500	2,466,667	16,800,000	1.22
18	Los Angeles Clippers	California	18,946	199,000	3,766,667	4,346,400	1.20
19	Minnesota Timberwolves	Minnesota	17,584	83,700	2,300,000	13,200,000	1.11
20	Utah Jazz	Utah	18,206	165,000	1,966,667	9,894,000	1.08
21	Brooklyn Nets	New York	17,568	125,000	3,300,000	6,205,200	1.07
22	Philadelphia 76ers	Pennsylvania	20,042	70,700	2,866,667	7,116,000	1.04
23	Detroit Pistons	Michigan	18,159	62,900	1,500,000	10,986,000	0.93
24	Indiana Pacers	Indiana	16,526	62,400	2,600,000	7,453,200	0.91
25	Portland Trail Blazers	Oregon	18,327	109,000	2,266,667	5,210,400	0.91
26	New Orleans Pelicans	Louisiana	17,301	148,000	1,966,667	5,420,400	0.89
27	Memphis Grizzlies	Tennessee	16,631	87,500	1,866,667	7,437,600	0.85
28	Atlanta Hawks	Georgia	16,986	73,300	1,900,000	7,485,600	0.85
29	Washington Wizards	Washington	16,899	57,900	2,533,333	4,670,400	0.82
30	Charlotte Hornets	North Carolina	16,449	27,900	1,766,667	5,847,600	0.71

1. Golden State Warriors - Popularity score of 6.37 /10

Situated in California and featuring the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in their logo, Golden State Warriors come out as the most popular NBA franchise with a score of 6.37 /10. This team is also home to Steph Curry, who is often regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and one of the highest point scorers. As a result, this franchise often makes headlines due to his notoriety in the sport - evidenced by the 38,400,000 Google searches last year!

2. Los Angeles Lakers - Popularity score of 4.03 /10

Joining the Golden State Warriors in this top three are the Los Angeles Lakers, who come in second place with a popularity score of 4.03 /10. With many trophies in their cabinet, this franchise has had many moments in the spotlight! This success has inevitably led them to gain a large audience, evident by an average social media following of 19,566,667.

3. Miami Heat - Popularity score of 3.22 /10

Any basketball fans will be aware of the rivalry between our second-place franchise and the Miami Heat, and it seems that in terms of popularity, the Miami Heat has just fallen short on this occasion. Despite this, the prevalence of this team is still very impressive, with stats including 150,000 Youtube subscribers, and nearly 50,000,000 searches for this franchise in the last year.

NFL’s Most Popular Franchises

As demonstrated in our ‘Most Popular Sports Franchises’ list, an overwhelming proportion of the teams were from the National Football League (NFL)—with this sport being responsible for the top eight most popular franchises overall. It is clear that the NFL is hugely popular, but what makes these teams so sought after?

Rank	Team	Location	Fan Attendance	YouTube Subscribers	Average Social Followers	Search Volume	Franchise Popularity Score /10
1	Dallas Cowboys	Texas	93,594	399,000	4,466,667	79,200,000	6.02
2	Kansas City Chiefs	Missouri	70,968	649,000	3,133,333	48,000,000	4.53
3	Philadelphia Eagles	Pennsylvania	69,878	542,000	3,733,333	28,800,000	3.84
4	Detroit Lions	Michigan	64,850	194,000	1,633,333	52,800,000	3.75
5	Green Bay Packers	Wisconsin	77,829	161,000	3,400,000	28,800,000	3.54
6	Buffalo Bills	New York	69,609	157,000	1,566,667	37,200,000	3.33
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	Pennsylvania	66,977	259,000	4,400,000	22,800,000	3.30
8	San Francisco 49ers	California	71,655	367,000	3,366,667	16,800,000	3.24
9	Miami Dolphins	Florida	65,922	147,000	1,766,667	36,000,000	3.21
10	Chicago Bears	Illinois	61,769	200,000	2,433,333	34,800,000	3.20
11	Denver Broncos	Colorado	76,388	147,000	2,600,000	22,800,000	3.19
12	New York Giants	New York	79,307	216,000	2,700,000	15,600,000	3.14
13	Cleveland Browns	Ohio	67,810	279,000	1,433,333	24,000,000	3.00
14	New England Patriots	Massachusetts	63,018	258,000	5,266,667	13,200,000	2.99
15	Baltimore Ravens	Maryland	70,597	284,000	2,100,000	16,800,000	2.94
16	Minnesota Vikings	Minnesota	66,913	289,000	1,633,333	19,200,000	2.86
17	Seattle Seahawks	Washington	68,735	258,000	3,100,000	9,496,800	2.75
18	Atlanta Falcons	Georgia	69,603	186,000	1,866,667	13,200,000	2.64
19	Carolina Panthers	North Carolina	71,635	134,000	2,333,333	10,467,600	2.61
20	New York Jets	New York	77,890	139,000	1,366,667	8,587,200	2.61
21	Houston Texans	Texas	71,193	98,600	1,933,333	13,200,000	2.59
22	Las Vegas Raiders	Nevada	62,190	281,000	2,466,667	10,809,600	2.56
23	New Orleans Saints	Louisiana	70,020	129,000	2,466,667	8,649,600	2.52
24	Washington Commanders	Washington	63,950	263,000	1,400,000	12,000,000	2.48
25	Los Angeles Chargers	California	69,736	332,000	1,200,000	2,917,200	2.42
26	Los Angeles Rams	California	73,150	139,000	1,300,000	3,888,000	2.32
27	Cincinnati Bengals	Ohio	66,040	127,000	1,500,000	8,733,600	2.28
28	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Florida	63,756	211,000	1,300,000	7,438,800	2.25
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	Florida	69,031	93,400	810,733	7,344,000	2.19
30	Tennessee Titans	Tennessee	64,520	66,500	983,000	8,785,200	2.10
31	Arizona Cardinals	Arizona	62,864	81,200	1,166,667	7,302,000	2.05
32	Indianapolis Colts	Indiana	65,230	79,600	1,363,667	3,277,200	2.01

1. Dallas Cowboys - Popularity score of 6.02 /10

After ranking first on the overall sports franchise list, it is no surprise that the Dallas Cowboys are the most popular NFL franchise. Outnumbering their opponents in every one of the popularity-related categories, this Texas team could not be more deserving of the title. Let's forget when the Cowboys blew a 24 point lead against the Detroit Lions!

2. New England Patriots - Popularity score of 4.53 /10

Also making their second appearance in these rankings are the New England Patriots. As previously mentioned, they have a popularity score of 4.53 /10, largely due to their large social media following - including 649,000 YouTube subscribers. Despite having a lower average fan attendance than other NFL teams, they make up for it with their extensive social media coverage and livestreams.

3. Philadelphia Eagles - Popularity score of 3.84 /10

Completing our top three list of the most popular NFL franchises is the Philadelphia Eagles. Competing against their Pennsylvanian rivals, it appears that the Eagles are largely preferred in terms of popularity. One notable Eagles fan is actor Sylvester Stallone, who famously starred in the 'Rocky' movie series, and with his support, he certainly helps the franchise serve up a knockout punch when it comes to popularity.

NHL’s Most Popular Franchises

The National Hockey League (NHL) is considered the highest-ranked ice hockey competition in the world. It features a larger number of Canadian teams than any of the other Big Four leagues. But have the American teams pushed their way to the top of the popularity table?

Rank	Team	Location	Fan Attendance	YouTube Subscribers	Average Social Followers	Search Volume	Franchise Popularity Score /10
1	Toronto Maple Leafs	Toronto	18,789	143,000	1,600,000	25,200,000	1.51
2	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal	21,099	187,000	1,357,667	11,630,400	1.17
3	Edmonton Oilers	Edmonton	19,173	85,100	865,133	18,000,000	1.12
4	Boston Bruins	Massachusetts	17,850	43,100	1,800,000	15,600,000	1.08
5	Pittsburgh Penguins	Pennsylvania	17,909	64,900	2,200,000	9,940,800	0.98
6	Vancouver Canucks	Vancouver	18,826	120,000	931,333	12,000,000	0.98
7	Detroit Red Wings	Michigan	18,980	61,900	1,314,667	9,802,800	0.89
8	Chicago Blackhawks	Illinois	18,836	93,200	2,200,000	4,922,400	0.88
9	Dallas Stars	Texas	18,532	32,000	744,000	11,640,000	0.82
10	Florida Panthers	Florida	18,632	139,000	418,167	7,377,600	0.78
11	New York Rangers	New York	17,983	54,400	1,433,333	6,721,200	0.77
12	Colorado Avalanche	Colorado	18,103	52,800	738,900	9,435,600	0.76
13	Tampa Bay Lightning	Florida	19,092	31,000	745,367	5,311,200	0.63
14	Vegas Golden Knights	Nevada	18,139	36,200	605,100	6,248,400	0.63
15	Washington Capitals	Washington	17,841	58,200	856,667	4,364,400	0.62
16	Minnesota Wild	Minnesota	18,526	52,500	670,300	4,339,200	0.61
17	Carolina Hurricanes	North Carolina	18,798	18,400	477,833	6,102,000	0.60
18	Philadelphia Flyers	Pennsylvania	18,438	32,500	1,082,667	3,015,600	0.59
19	Calgary Flames	Calgary	17,501	25,200	516,133	5,516,400	0.56
20	Buffalo Sabres	New York	15,981	37,300	638,867	5,133,600	0.54
21	Ottawa Senators	Ottawa	17,580	31,200	440,433	4,762,800	0.54
22	Seattle Kraken	Washington	17,887	69,600	393,800	3,106,800	0.53
23	Los Angeles Kings	California	17,945	44,000	900,667	1,213,200	0.51
24	Winnipeg Jets	Winnipeg	13,490	29,400	497,000	6,860,400	0.49
25	New Jersey Devils	New York	17,598	37,700	598,500	2,352,000	0.49
26	St. Louis Blues	Missouri	18,084	39,400	762,533	668,400	0.47
27	Nashville Predators	Tennessee	17,306	7,120	517,333	2,602,800	0.44
28	New York Islanders	New York	18,099	7,750	461,367	1,596,000	0.42
29	Columbus Blue Jackets	Ohio	17,016	28,900	428,933	1,462,800	0.41
30	San Jose Sharks	California	13,559	36,700	761,033	2,600,400	0.40
31	Anaheim Ducks	California	15,687	24,300	509,900	2,223,600	0.40
32	Arizona Coyotes	Arizona	4,600	17,100	359,533	2,306,400	0.06

1. Toronto Maple Leafs - Popularity score of 1.51 /10

The Toronto Maple Leafs are the most popular NHL franchise with a score of 1.51 /10. This team currently has 143,000 YouTube subscribers, and last season saw an average attendance of 18,789. Not to forget the 25 million plus social searches that it has collected in the past year.

2. Montreal Canadiens - Popularity score of 1.17 /10

Just below the Maple Leafs, with a popularity score of 1.17 /10, are the Montreal Canadiens. No slouches regarding social activity, they currently have an average following of 1,35m across the three platforms and with an average attendance of 21,099, they find themselves on the coat tails of the Maple Leafs.

3. Edmonton Oilers - Popularity score of 1.12 /10

There is a Canadian lockout for the top three places within the NHL rankings, the Edmonton Oilers are third in the list with a score of 1.12. This figure was cultivated after being hit by a low YouTube subscriber count of just 85,000. However, this was also offset against a search volume of 18,000,000 in the past year, which means it is the bronze medal for Edmonton's finest.

Every US State’s Most Popular Franchise

As previously mentioned, the Big Four leagues include teams from a range of areas across North America, and some of these locations play host to multiple teams. Because of this, we were interested to see each state's most popular franchise.

This list only includes US states, and any states for which there were no franchises were removed.

US State							Sport Franchise	Sport
Arizona	Phoenix						Arizona Cardinals	NFL
California	Los Angeles	Oakland	Sacramento	San Diego	San Francisco	San Jose	Golden State Warriors	NBA
Colorado	Denver						Denver Broncos	NFL
Florida	Jacksonville	Miami	Orlando	Tampa			Miami Heat	NBA
Georgia	Atlanta						Atlanta Falcons	NFL
Illinois	Chicago						Chicago Bears	NFL
Indiana	Indianapolis						Indianapolis Colts	NFL
Louisiana	New Orleans						New Orleans Saints	NFL
Maryland	Baltimore						Baltimore Ravens	NFL
Massachusetts	Boston						New England Patriots	NFL
Michigan	Detroit						Detroit Lions	NFL
Minnesota	Minneapolis						Minnesota Vikings	NFL
Missouri	Kansas City	St. Louis					Kansas City Chiefs	NFL
Nevada	Las Vegas						Las Vegas Raiders	NFL
New York	Buffalo	New York					Buffalo Bills	NFL
North Carolina	Charlotte	Raleigh					Carolina Panthers	NFL
Ohio	Cincinnati	Cleveland	Columbus				Cleveland Browns	NFL
Oklahoma	Oklahoma City						Oklahoma City Thunder	NBA
Oregon	Portland						Portland Trail Blazers	NBA
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Pittsburgh					Philadelphia Eagles	NFL
Tennessee	Memphis	Nashville					Tennessee Titans	NFL
Texas	Austin	Dallas	Houston	San Antonio			Dallas Cowboys	NFL
Utah	Salt Lake						Utah Jazz	NBA
Washington	Seattle	Washington					Seattle Seahawks	NFL
Wisconsin	Green Bay						Green Bay Packers	NFL
Wyoming	Milwaukee						Milwaukee Bucks	NBA

Methodology

We used information from Stadium Maps to list every sports franchise in the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL.

We used ESPN data and Wikipedia to find the average attendance for home games in each league's last complete season.

We used Semrush to add the total number of Global searches for each sports franchise between June 2023 and July 2024.

We used Youtube to find each sports franchise's current number of subscribers.

We used the following platforms to find the number of followers for each sports franchise: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. By adding together the total number of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook followers for each franchise and dividing this number by 3, we were able to calculate the average social following for each franchise.

Finally, we used the popularity-based factors (average attendance, search volume, Youtube subscribers and average social following) and normalized each factor out of 10 before taking an average of those scores to get our overall popularity score.