New England Patriots fans have something else to brag about.
A study conducted by Emory University professor Michael Lewis has Patriots fans ranked as the best in the NFL, followed by the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles.
The results of the study were determined using a method called Dynamic Fan Equity (DFE), which Lewis describes as follows:
The DFE measure leverages the best features of the two measures. Fan Equity is based on the most important consumer trait - willingness to spend. Social Equity captures fan support that occurs beyond the walls of the stadium and skews towards a younger demographic. The key insight that allows for the two measures to be combined is that there is a significant relationship between the Social Media Equity trend and the Fan Equity measure. Social media performance turns out to be a strong leading indicator for financial performance.
The Patriots came out on top thanks to their fans' willingness to pay premium prices, strong attendance numbers, and a greater social media following.
The Eagles were somewhat of a surprise at No. 5, but Lewis points to the fact that their fans still paid premium prices and filled the stadium last season even though the team struggled.
Finishing at the bottom of the park are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who failed to meet capacity despite having an average ticket price of just $57.
Here are the full results:
Team | Rank |
---|---|
New England Patriots | 1 |
Dallas Cowboys | 2 |
Denver Broncos | 3 |
San Francisco 49ers | 4 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 5 |
New York Giants | 6 |
Chicago Bears | 7 |
New Orleans Saints | 8 |
Baltimore Ravens | 9 |
Carolina Panthers | 10 |
Green Bay Packers | 11 |
Indianapolis Colts | 12 |
Seattle Seahawks | 13 |
Houston Texans | 14 |
San Diego Chargers | 15 |
Washington Redskins | 16 |
New York Jets | 17 |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 18 |
Atlanta Falcons | 19 |
Tennessee Titans | 20 |
Detroit Lions | 21 |
Minnesota Vikings | 22 |
Cleveland Browns | 23 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 24 |
Arizona Cardinals | 25 |
Cincinnati Bengals | 26 |
Miami Dolphins | 27 |
Buffalo Bills | 28 |
Los Angeles Rams | 29 |
Kansas City Chiefs | 30 |
Oakland Raiders | 31 |
Jacksonville Jaguars | 32 |
- With h/t to CBS Sports