Dallas is the second-best city for football fans, according to a new study, with Pittsburgh landing the top spot.
The WalletHub 2022 Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans found that what’s keeping Dallas from ranking first is its lack of college football teams. Last year, the Cowboys also ranked second to the Steelers.
“Having a college football team is important because it helps bring revenue to the respective college,” said Jill Gonzalez, an analyst with WalletHub. “It’s also important because NFL teams can find new talent among college football players.”
Success in football and fan engagement is important because it can contribute to the economy, according to Gonzalez.
“Dallas can benefit because fan engagement and the team’s success attract people to the city,” she said. “This boosts revenues for local businesses and helps the city’s economy.”
While the Cowboys’ franchise value at $6.5 billion is higher than the $3.43 billion for the Steelers, the Cowboys have a lower performance level than Pittsburgh, and fewer NFL championship wins, lower fan engagement, and a smaller stadium capacity, according to WalletHub data.
“These are all the areas that Dallas would need to improve for a higher ranking,” Gonzalez told The Dallas Express.
The data defined the Steelers’ performance level at 59.31% compared to 52.7% for the Cowboys’.
“Dallas is a great city for football fans because of the five NFL championship wins, and 25 division championship wins,” Gonzalez said. “The city also has three hall of fame head coaches, strong fan engagement, and a lot of popularity.”
The study also found that the average ticket per game in Dallas costs $99.50, while in Pittsburgh, the average price is $114.24. Dallas has five NFL championship wins compared to six for Pittsburgh.
“Football is the most popular sport in America, dominating the other sports in terms of fans and revenue,” Gonzalez said. “One issue that could be raised is the fact that it may be difficult for the sport to gain the attention of younger generations who tend to participate less in physical sports.”
Another challenge for professional football is the safety of its players, as the sport is among the most aggressive, according to Gonzalez.
