We may believe in our hearts that Pittsburgh is home to the best football fans, but now WalletHub has some stats that just might support this theory.
With Super Bowl XLIX upon usâand football the most followed sport in the USâWalletHub has crunched the numbers to identify the best cities for football fans.
In its latest study, the personal finance social network released an in-depth analysis of 2015âs Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans. The land of Black & Gold landed No. 3 in the studyâs overall ranking, just after Green Bay, WI and East Lansing, MI.
Whatâs behind the ranking? WalletHub analyzed 142 US cities with at least one college or professional football team based on 11 key metrics, ranging from the number of NFL and college football teams and average ticket prices, to number of championships won (we got this) and even fan friendliness.
For fans, football is more than just a game, itâs an American traditionâfrom discussing the latest Super Bowl ads and perfecting game-day chili recipes to tailgating rituals. WalletHub reports that of the 168 million adults in the US who follow sports, 49 percent are loyal to football. Fans of football outnumber baseball fans by 30.24 million and basketball fans by 35.28 million.
Tracking the economics behind the game, WalletHub also reports that revenues from ticket and merchandise sales, food and beverage consumption, and transportation and lodgingâas well as the creation of new jobs and businessesâare âa huge boon to local economies.â
Not a fan of the pigskin? Then head to Vegas.