Overview
- Nielsen published its first Local NFL Fandom Index on Monday, August 17, 2026, using eight proprietary metrics to measure fan avidity in each NFL market.
- The eight metrics are apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media following, TV viewership, radio listening, betting intent, and overall interest level.
- Buffalo leads the rankings with a score of 208, followed by Kansas City at 194 and Green Bay at 172, while New York scored last at 85 and Miami and Los Angeles also ranked near the bottom.
- Philadelphia is a notable large-market outlier, placing in the top five on five of the eight metrics, and Nielsen updated its release graphic to add Las Vegas at No. 23 after an initial omission.
- Nielsen emphasizes the difference between per-capita intensity and total fan counts, a distinction that helps explain why single-team legacy markets score highly and why broadcasters and the league may use these patterns when scheduling and marketing games.