: Ever wondered which major league teams boast the fastest-growing fanbases? We’ve revealed the franchises that earned the most social media followers this year.
The fastest-rowing major league fanbases
Millions of Americans tune into their favorite sports teams each week, whether it’s major league football, basketball, or hockey. But, with a strong online presence becoming increasingly important, which franchises have seen their social media following grow the most?
Comparing each NFL, NHL, and NBA team’s current Instagram following versus 12 months ago, we can reveal the fastest-growing major league franchises. Read on to see where your team ranks!
The fastest-growing NFL fanbases
Taking the top spot as the fastest-growing NFL franchise over the last 12 months, we have the Buffalo Bills, whose Instagram following has risen by an incredible 39.61% since September 2022.
Incidentally, the Bills have also seen the biggest growth in actual follower count, too, with 600,000 new fans since the start of last season.
The Bills are trailed by the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets, whose social media followings have grown by 27.96% and 24.64%, respectively, while last season’s Super Bowl runner up the Philadelphia Eagles take fourth – their 2022 Instagram following of 2.2 million has grown by 23.86%.
Ranking fifth, the Jacksonville Jaguars might not have the strongest support, but it’s on the rise, with their 654,000 Instagram network growing to 811,700 over the last year – a 21.41% increase.
Curiously, the top five teams by actual follower growth don’t exactly match the top five by percentage increase: replacing the Jets in third, we have the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Cowboys round out the top five, with half a million new followers since last September.
The slowest-growing NFL fanbases
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, by the rate of growth, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only NFL franchise to lose followers since September 2022, with marginally fewer fans now than last year. They’re joined at the bottom of the list by Super Bowl LVI champs the Los Angeles Rams (1.47%), as well as the Arizona Cardinals (1.8%) and Denver Broncos (1.96%), who each record annual supporter growth below 2%.
The fastest-growing NHL fanbases
As far as the NHL goes, no franchise has seen a greater rate of growth than last season’s Stanley Cup runner-up the Florida Panthers, whose Instagram follower count has risen to 391,000 in the year since September 2022 – an incredible increase of 23.3%.
They’re closely followed by the New Jersey Devils (22.16%), while the Pittsburgh Penguins take third with a rise in follower count totaling 18.91% over the last 12 months.
Meanwhile, ranking fourth, we have a newly founded franchise the Seattle Kraken, whose fanbase has continued to grow since entering the NHL in 2021 – now 13.84% stronger than last September. And, rounding out our top five, the Anaheim Ducks’ Instagram following has risen by an impressive 11.7% – marginally more than the Carolina Hurricanes (11.69%).
The slowest-growing NHL fanbases
At the other end of the table, the Calgary Flames have seen the slowest rate of growth over the last 12 months, with their Instagram fanbase rising by just 1.35%. They’re joined towards the bottom of our list by the St. Louis Blues (2.47%), Washington Capitals (2.76%), Philadelphia Flyers (2.85%), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2.9%).
The fastest-growing NBA fanbases
Last season’s NBA champions the Denver Nuggets rank above all other franchises when it comes to social media growth over the last 12 months – perhaps largely thanks to their on-court success. In fact, they’re the only basketball fanbase whose Instagram following has grown by over 30% since last September.
Next up, the Phoenix Suns take second, with a follower growth rate of 25.44%, ahead of the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors who record increases of 25.23% and 22.4%, respectively. Finally, the Cleveland Cavaliers round out the top five teams, with 21.25% more Instagram followers now than in 2022.
The slowest-growing NBA fanbases
In contrast, the Washington Wizards are the NBA team with the slowest-growing Instagram fanbase since September 2022, with just 4.14% more social media fans than 12 months ago. Towards the bottom, we also have the Charlotte Hornets (6.05%), Toronto Raptors (6.47%), and New Orleans Pelicans (7.29%).
So, there we have it; the NFL, NHL, and NBA franchises that have seen the fastest rate of growth over the last 12 months – though, of course, this could all change in the coming years! In the meantime, why not check all the latest sports betting odds and picks for your favorite teams?
