A recent study from Sidelines has named Dallas Cowboys supporters as the best fans in the NFL.
The study surveyed fans and considered eight factors: social media following, engagement, average likes, average attendance at home, away, and total games, the average amount fans spend on food and drinks, and the average amount fans spend on merchandise.
Each factor was scored on a 1-10 scale and combined for an average rating, known as the “Supporter Index,” with a perfect rating of 80.
The Cowboys came in first place with a score of 55.37, primarily due to the league’s largest home total attendance and merchandise sales.
“A survey conducted on fans of every NFL team found that Dallas Cowboys fans are some of the biggest spenders, spending an average of $279.81 on merchandise, and $147.68 on food and drink inside the stadium,” Sidelines writes. “This shows fans willing to not just turn up in droves to support their team at games, but also wanting to represent their team by wearing their merchandise.”
The website displayed results for the top 10 teams in the league, including the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and Houston Texans.
Five of the ten teams made the playoffs last season, and the Texans are the only team on the list that has not played in the postseason in the previous two years. Additionally, five have been to the Super Bowl in the last 10 years, with four winning championships.
The 49ers came in second with a 54.08 Supporter Index due to their high social media engagement and the league’s highest road attendance.
Kansas City’s high attendance rates and an average of 66,608 likes on social media posts earned third place with a 47.96 Supporter Index, but Chiefs’ fans were docked for their lower spending habits.
Despite the perception that Los Angeles teams cannot gather a loyal following and tend to have more visiting fans than home fans, the Los Angeles Rams have been among the league leaders in total attendance, merchandise purchasing, and online fan engagement — earning the fourth spot in this survey.
Social media drove the Seattle Seahawks to No. 5 even with the team’s low scores in attendance and average spending.
The Houston Texans capped the list at No.10 because their fans are more willing to spend on merchandise, food, and beverages than any other team. In February, ESPN ranked Houston second in its NFL Concession Index for the 2022-23 season.
