By Staff
The end of summer and the imminent arrival of fall means one thing to football fans in America: the return of the NFL season. There's no doubt that football reigns supreme as America’s favorite sport, with millions of fans tuning in to watch the games every week.
According to reports, NFL regular-season games drew in a whopping 17.9 million viewers in 2023, the second most since tracking began in 1995. That's 7% more than the previous year, with only the 2015 season averaging more viewers (18.1 million).
While some teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles can boast of having the most devoted and obsessed fans, new research shows that NFL fandom is more concentrated in certain parts of the country than others. Based on a new Google research that analyzed the top 50 NFL-related search terms per population from different locations in the United States, these are the states with the most die-hard NFL fans in the USA.
Delaware
Despite being the second smallest state in the US in terms of landmass, Delawareans are dubbed the most obsessed NFL fans, at least in terms of Google search rankings. According to a recent study by top sportsbook experts, Delaware amassed over 60,000 Google searches per 100,000 population, the most of any state.
The research used Google keyword planner to determine the top 50 most NFL-related search terms on Google and tracked each state’s
For a state with no NFL home team to call its own, this is quite surprising. But it makes a lot of sense when you consider that Delaware shares its borders with three states that are home to popular football teams: Pennsylvania, Baltimore, and New Jersey.
As you would expect, most Delawareans support NFL teams in neighboring states the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and New York Giants. However, there are a considerable number of fans who have pledged their allegiance to popular teams down the map like the Dallas Cowboys.
Aside from its proximity to NFL-team states, the legality of sports betting in Delaware has also aided NFL obsession among residents. The “First State” was literally the first state to legalize sports betting in 2018. Initially limiting its laws to in-person wagering only, Delaware embraced online betting in December 2023, a move that has fueled interest in football, America’s most wagered sport.
Nevada
Nevadans were without an NFL home team for years until 2020 when the Raiders organization relocated to Las Vegas from Oakland. Since then, interest in football has grown tremendously in the Silver State.
The Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl LVIII game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, with more than 61,000 fans in attendance. The game also became the most-watched broadcast in American television history, according to CBS reports, with a 123.7 million average viewership.
Maryland
There are two prominent NFL teams in the DMV area, the Ravens and the Commanders. The Ravens are located in Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, and are also one of the most prominent pro football teams in the country. Since the franchise’s establishment in 1996, they have won two Super Bowl championships and are among the current favorites to win the Super Bowl this season.
Some Marylanders also support three-time Super Bowl champions, the Washington Commanders, a franchise headquartered in nearby D.C.
Pennsylvania
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Pennsylvanians are among the biggest NFL fanbase in the world. The Keystone State boasts two of the most prominent NFL franchises: the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots as the most successful football team in terms of Super Bowl wins (6). The Eagles, on the other hand, clinched their first Super Bowl title in 2017, their only win to this day.
Outside the NFL, Pennsylvanians also support the Penn Quakers, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Pittsburgh Panthers at the collegiate level.
Hawaii
Hawaii may not have an NFL team of its own, but it has built strong ties with the NFL over the years. The NFL Pro Bowl game made its home in Hawaii from 1980 to 2009. After a brief hiatus, the All-Star game returned to Aloha State from 2011 to 2014 and again in 2016.
According to local reports, a heavy population of Hawaiians supports the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the LA Rams.
South Dakota
South Dakota is famous for being the home of the famous Mount Rushmore, a sculpture that features the heads of four former United States presidents. But the state also houses a legion of dedicated NFL fans, despite not having a professional football team of its own.
South Dakota has also produced NFL greats like Adam Vinatieri, who played 24 years in the league and is widely considered one of the greatest placekickers of all time. The former New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts player holds the record for most field goals made (599) and has also scored the most playoff points (238) in NFL history.
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