What are the most popular sports teams in the US?
This cross-sport ranking covers the 25 sports teams with the largest active US fanbase across NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and global soccer — measured by anonymized search-behavior signals. Real Madrid C.F. leads with approximately 37M engaged US fans.
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Top 25 most popular sports teams in the US
| Rank | Audience | US fanbase | Avg age | Female share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RReal Madrid C.F. | 37M | 32.5 | 34.8% |
| 2 | LLos Angeles Lakers | 36M | 31.2 | 38.2% |
| 3 | GGolden State Warriors | 33M | 31.4 | 41.1% |
| 4 | CChicago Bears | 29M | 36.7 | 31.1% |
| 5 | BBuffalo Bills | 28M | 37.3 | 29.1% |
| 6 | NNew England Patriots | 28M | 36.8 | 32.8% |
| 7 | NNew York Yankees | 27M | 34.6 | 40.2% |
| 8 | GGreen Bay Packers | 27M | 36.9 | 31.0% |
| 9 | FFC Barcelona | 27M | 34.0 | 36.9% |
| 10 | PPittsburgh Steelers | 26M | 35.9 | 31.7% |
| 11 | DDetroit Tigers | 26M | 41.1 | 38.2% |
| 12 | KKansas City Chiefs | 24M | 34.4 | 40.2% |
| 13 | OOklahoma City Thunder | 24M | 29.6 | 42.3% |
| 14 | DDenver Nuggets | 24M | 34.2 | 46.7% |
| 15 | PPhiladelphia Eagles | 24M | 34.9 | 39.0% |
| 16 | DDetroit Lions | 24M | 38.9 | 29.0% |
| 17 | BBoston Celtics | 23M | 30.5 | 37.9% |
| 18 | CChicago Bulls | 23M | 30.1 | 38.0% |
| 19 | MMiami Heat | 22M | 30.4 | 39.9% |
| 20 | DDenver Broncos | 21M | 39.3 | 28.6% |
| 21 | CChicago Cubs | 21M | 36.5 | 38.2% |
| 22 | LLos Angeles Dodgers | 19M | 31.5 | 42.2% |
| 23 | SSeattle Seahawks | 19M | 37.3 | 32.4% |
| 24 | SSan Antonio Spurs | 19M | 29.6 | 40.7% |
| 25 | CCleveland Cavaliers | 18M | 29.6 | 39.6% |
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Open audience directory →Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular sports team in the US in 2026?
Real Madrid C.F. ranks #1 with approximately 37M active US fans.
Which sports teams have the biggest fan bases in America?
Measured by active search engagement, the biggest fan bases in US sports in 2026 are led by Real Madrid C.F. with approximately 37M active fans. The table compares the top 25 across NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and soccer on one metric.
Which sports are included?
All major team sports with measurable US fanbases: American football (NFL), basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB), ice hockey (NHL) and international soccer.
Why are foreign soccer teams sometimes in the top?
Global soccer clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have substantial US fanbases — particularly among Hispanic Americans and soccer fans — and their search engagement reflects this.
How is fanbase size measured?
We aggregate anonymized US search-behavior signals over the trailing 12 months and convert them into estimated unique engaged people.
How often is this list updated?
Weekly.
Using this ranking for sponsorship & media planning
Rankings like this are the starting point for commercial questions: Which audiences match a brand's target group? How does a rights holder's fanbase compare to its league peers? Where does a media plan reach the most engaged fans? Rascasse combines audience size with demographics, regional distribution and brand affinities — the full dataset behind this page is available in the platform, including exports and benchmarking.
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