Midsized markets with fewer entertainment options typically have the most avid NFL following
Bob McManamanArizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2026, 12:52 p.m. MT
- Nielsen ranked NFL fan bases using eight metrics including viewership, attendance, and social media engagement.
- The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Green Bay Packers were ranked as the top three most avid fan bases.
Where did the Arizona Cardinals land on the inaugural “Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index” rankings? Here are a couple of hints — they weren’t No. 1, and they weren’t dead last.
Nielsen, the audience-measurement company that tracks television ratings, conducted a comprehensive study to help determine the most avid NFL markets based on eight key metrics:
- apparel purchases
- general interest levels
- live event attendance
- betting intent
- social media engagement
- radio listenership
- streaming habits
- linear TV viewership
The Cardinals, represented by the Phoenix metropolitan market, came in 25th with an index point total of 101. Nielsen’s average index was set at 100.
Nielson’s top-five rankings, in order, were: the Buffalo Bills (208 points), Kansas City Chiefs (194), Green Bay Packers (172), Cincinnati Bengals (160) and Philadelphia Eagles (151). Rounding out the Top 10 markets were Pittsburgh (148), Baltimore (144), Detroit (141), New Orleans (141) and Cleveland/Akron (134).
The bottom five markets after Phoenix were Tampa/St. Petersburg (100), San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (97), Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (87), Los Angeles (86) and New York (85).
Nielsen’s data indicate that America’s most avid fans are often found in the heart of its midsized markets, where only one NFL franchise is typically located. Those places typically feature strong local identities, fewer entertainment options elsewhere, and, as Nielsen noted, that concentrated loyalty pattern “inflates per-capita engagement.”
The NFL recorded its second-best viewership season ever in 2025, with an average of 18.7 million viewers The 1989 season averaged 19 million viewers, per Nielsen
Reach McManaman atbob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.
Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM) and every Thursday on the Doug Franz Unplugged podcast
