
Lexington Ranks First in College Basketball Fandom Index from Nielsen
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The city of Lexington, Kentucky stands alone as the top market in college basketball according to a new metric released by Nielsen last week.
Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, released its inaugural “Nielsen Scarborough Local College Basketball Fandom Index” to determine the top 20 most avid college basketball markets in the country.
Lexington topped the list with an average index score of 289. Louisville was second at 277, while Des Moines/Ames, Raleigh/Durham and Indianapolis rounded out the top five.
Nielsen leveraged its proprietary data and media intelligence across seven key metrics to determine the list: apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media following, TV viewership, radio listening and overall interest level. The index encompasses both men’s and women’s college basketball.
The report also noted that the Lexington and Louisville markets led nationally across TV, streaming, radio and live events, reflecting an unmatched enthusiasm for the sport.
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