Who are the NFL's best and worst fan bases heading into the 2026 regular season?
The NFL preseason is underway. Games have begun and, in less than a month, the regular season will be underway. The Seahawks will look to defend their Super Bowl championship, after blowing out the Patriots last February.
Ahead of the 2026 NFL regular season, Nielsen has officially launched the inaugural “Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index," ranking every fan base in the league.
The study "moves beyond simple headcount to identify where the sport’s pulse beats strongest, revealing that America’s most avid fans are often found in the heart of its mid-sized legacy markets."
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Buffalo, Kansas City, and Green Bay top the rankings, followed by Cincinnati and Philadelphia, which round out the top five.
"A striking trend emerges: the 'small market, concentrated loyalty' pattern. Legacy markets like those in the AFC North—Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland—form a high-intensity cluster; all four finish in the top 10 overall, and their strength is driven primarily by conventional, localized factors like local radio, TV, and live-event attendance rather than betting or streaming," Nielsen writes.
But which NFL fan bases are worst in 2026?
According to Nielsen's rankings, here are the NFL's 10 worst fan bases right now
Here is the top 10, from most worst to least worst:
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- Los Angeles Rams
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Miami Dolphins
- San Francisco 49ers
- Tampa Bay Bucs
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Las Vegas Raiders
The Giants and Jets were technically tied for the last spot, while the Rams and Chargers were technically tied for the second-worst spot.
You can view the full NFL fan base rankings here.
