The online betting platform PennStakes ranked the Keystone State’s sports teams, including 8 pro teams, by compiling the number of Google searches for each team over 12 months and calculating the monthly average.
Each team’s popularity varies from region to region, which may influence the overall state rankings.
For example, Pennsylvania’s 3rd most popular sports team, according to PennStakes, is the Pittsburgh Penguins, clocking in at 476,000 Google searches per month. In Pittsburgh, however, the Penguins come in 2nd with 119,300 average monthly searches and 9th in Philadelphia (7,500 Google searches per month).
In a separate study, PennStakes ranked the Penguins at 2nd place in the nation for the most dedicated fanbase, assigning points to each team based on Game Day Commitment and Fan Engagement.
Additionally, Forbes ranked Pittsburgh Penguins fans in 1st place as the “Best Fans of 2019,” the third time the team received the Number 1 title since Forbes started compiling the annual list in 2009. Forbes “ranks fans objectively based on quantitative fan consumption metrics,” which includes local television ratings, attendance in relation to capacity, secondary ticket demand (provided by StubHub), merchandise sales (via Fanatics), and social media reach (Facebook and Twitter).
The PennStakes study ranks the Philadelphia Eagles as the 2nd favorite sports team in the state overall. The Eagles take the Number 1 spot in many local lists as well, such as in Philadelphia (149,300 monthly searches), Scranton (2,400 searches), Lancaster (18,100 searches), and Harrisburg (4,400 searches).
In regards to the team ranked 1st overall, the study reads, “Leading the way as Pennsylvania’s most popular sports team, we have the NFL’s most successful team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with more than 606,000 Google searches each month.”
In lists for Pittsburgh (124,000 searches) and Erie (18,100 searches), the Steelers also secured the top spot while placing 2nd in Allentown (18,100 searches), Scranton (1,300 searches), and Harrisburg (3,600 searches) as well as 3rd in Lancaster (8,100 searches).
In terms of the most popular Pennsylvania baseball team, the study found that the Pittsburgh Pirates took the Number 1 spot with almost 400,000 average monthly searches, nearly twice the amount of searches for the Philadelphia Phillies, the 5th most popular sports team in the state.
Regardless of where fans are and what team preferences they have, sports fans across Pennsylvania are united in their shared love for the game, whether it be baseball, hockey, or football.
