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Mike OrganNashville Tennessean
Aug. 18, 2026, 5:06 a.m. CT
- A new Nielsen study ranks Buffalo, Kansas City and Green Bay as the top three most passionate NFL markets.
- The study uses eight metrics, including viewership, social media engagement and apparel purchases, to determine fan passion.
- Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans, is ranked 15th out of 30 markets, ahead of cities like Atlanta and Phoenix.
Buffalo, Kansas City and Green Bay are the top three most passionate NFL markets. Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans, is ranked 15th.
That is according to the Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index, which was officially launched Aug. 17.
It comes after the NFL’s record-breaking viewership in 2025 and is a comprehensive study designed to identify the strongest fan bases using data more than head counts. A total of 30 markets are ranked.
Nashville is ahead of other mid-size TV markets in the index, including Atlanta, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Nielsen’s methodology involves eight metrics: apparel purchases, general interest levels, live event attendance, betting intent, social media engagement, radio listenership, streaming habits and linear TV viewership.
According to the index, Cincinnati and Philadelphia are fourth and fifth.
A trend emerged in the study: a small market with a concentrated loyalty pattern. Legacy markets including those in the AFC North — Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland — formed a high-intensity cluster with all four finishing in the top 10 overall. Their strength is driven primarily by conventional, localized factors such as local radio, TV, and live-event attendance rather than betting or streaming.
The pattern extends well beyond the AFC North. Radio listenership is especially concentrated: Aside from the “big three,” Cleveland/Akron, Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Pittsburgh index the highest for listening to games on the radio.
Broadcast and cable viewership are highest with Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh joining Green Bay, Buffalo and Kansas City at the top. That same cluster, along with Baltimore, also dominates event attendance.
For the complete ranking, visit Nielsen Fandom Index.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
