Stadium Attendance Doesn’t Define NFL Loyalty
NFL fans love debating which fanbase is most loyal. But does that loyalty belong to the team, or the city it calls home?
To explore that question, Canada Sports Betting commissioned a survey of 3,070 NFL fans. We ranked fanbases by their willingness to stick with a team after a move. We also compared the results with stadium attendance to see how loyalty translates into showing up.
Raiders fans lead the loyalty ranking, while Bengals and Browns fans share the lowest score. However, loyalty does not always translate into stadium visits. Cowboys fans rank second for loyalty but have the lowest share watching from the stands.
NFL fan loyalty at a glance
Survey of 3,070 NFL fansKey findings
Raiders fans are the NFL’s most loyal
With a loyalty score of 91%, Las Vegas leads all 32 fanbases.
Cowboys fans rank second for loyalty
Dallas scores 88%, three percentage points behind the Raiders.
Chargers fans complete the top three
At 87%, Los Angeles takes third place, just one point behind Dallas.
Nearly four in five NFL fans would stick with their team
Across the survey, the loyalty score is 78%, or nearly four in five fans.
Bengals and Browns fans sit at the opposite end
Cincinnati and Cleveland are tied at 63%, leaving a 28-point gap between them and the league-leading Raiders.
Loyalty does not always translate into the stands
Cowboys fans rank second for loyalty but last for watching from the stands at 11%, while Buccaneers fans lead the league for in-person viewing at 35%.
Which NFL Fanbases Are the Most Loyal?
Compare the highest and lowest scores on the relocation question.
Top 10 Most Loyal Fans
Highest shares on the fan-loyalty measureRaiders fans lead the NFL loyalty ranking
The Raiders lead the fan-loyalty ranking at 91%, followed by the Cowboys at 88% and the Chargers at 87%. Meanwhile, San Francisco and Jacksonville complete the top five at 86%.
Nearly four in five NFL fans say they would stick with their team
Across the full survey, the loyalty score is 78%.
That means nearly four in five respondents would stay loyal despite a move. However, the results vary between fanbases.
Bengals and Browns fans record the lowest loyalty scores
At the other end of the ranking, Cincinnati and Cleveland are tied at 63%. Seattle follows at 65%, ahead of Minnesota at 66%, Arizona at 68% and Houston at 69%.
The Raiders lead the Bengals and Browns by 28 percentage points. However, this measures loyalty after a potential relocation, not every aspect of fan support.
Survey data for all 32 NFL teams
The table ranks teams by loyalty after a potential relocation. In addition, it shows the share of fans who watch games in stadiums.
| Fan loyalty rank | Team | Fan loyalty | Watch from stands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas Raiders | 91% | 24% |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 88% | 11% |
| 3 | Los Angeles Chargers | 87% | 25% |
| 4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 86% | 31% |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | 86% | 14% |
| 6 | Carolina Panthers | 83% | 31% |
| 6 | Kansas City Chiefs | 83% | 13% |
| 6 | New England Patriots | 83% | 13% |
| 6 | New York Giants | 83% | 24% |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 82% | 23% |
| 10 | Washington Commanders | 82% | 30% |
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | 81% | 18% |
| 13 | Los Angeles Rams | 80% | 29% |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints | 80% | 20% |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | 79% | 25% |
Loyalty does not always mean showing up
Cowboys fans provide the clearest contrast: Dallas ranks second for fan loyalty, yet only 11% of its respondents said they watch NFL games in stadiums, the lowest share in the league. By contrast, Buccaneers fans lead the NFL for watching from the stands at 35% despite ranking much lower on the loyalty measure.
For that reason, in-person viewing is included as context rather than as part of the loyalty ranking. Geography, ticket availability, stadium capacity and the cost of attending can all affect whether supporters make it to games.
Does the cost of attending affect who shows up?
Fans of the eight teams with the cheapest family game-day experiences were more likely to say they watch from the stands, averaging 26.8%. By comparison, fans of the eight most expensive teams averaged 21.5%.
However, the relationship became much weaker once family costs were adjusted for median household income in each team’s metro area. Price may play a part, but affordability alone does not explain the differences between fanbases.
Family game-day cost includes four tickets, two beers, two soft drinks, four hot dogs and parking. Income comparison uses 2024 ACS 1-year median household income for each stadium metro area.How the analysis works
Survey and loyalty ranking
- Survey: Canada Sports Betting commissioned the 2026-27 NFL fan survey. It included 3,070 NFL fans. Team-level samples range from 51 to 241 respondents, so small differences between closely ranked teams should be interpreted directionally.
- Fan loyalty: Teams are ranked by the percentage answering “Yes” to the relocation question. Ties receive the same rank.
- Watching from the stands: This is a separate survey measure based on the percentage selecting “Live in the stadiums” when asked how they watch NFL games. It does not affect the loyalty ranking.
Cost and affordability context
- Family cost: The 2026 Action Network stadium-cost analysis uses a family-of-four package consisting of four tickets, two beers, two soft drinks, four hot dogs and one parking space.
- Income: The affordability comparison uses 2024 American Community Survey 1-year median household income for the relevant stadium metro area. Annual income is divided by 12 for the monthly comparison.
- Affordability burden: Family-of-four cost is divided by median monthly household income and expressed as a percentage.
What the results can tell us
- Cost and affordability provide context for the survey findings. However, they do not establish that price causes higher or lower stadium attendance.
Sources
Survey: Canada Sports Betting commissioned the 2026-27 NFL fan survey.
Survey reporting: Because the source material available for this analysis does not state an exact fieldwork period, no fieldwork dates are reported here.
Stadium costs: The Cheapest and Most Expensive NFL Stadiums for Families in 2026.
Income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates. Row-level source links are included in the cost and affordability table below.
Cost & affordability analysis
The full survey ranking is already shown above. For additional context, the section below focuses on cost and affordability factors related to in-person attendance.
Compare family costs and local incomes
For context, family game-day cost is compared with median monthly household income in each stadium’s metro area. This analysis is a supporting measure and does not affect the fan loyalty ranking.
Pearson r = -0.283 (p = 0.116)
Pearson r = -0.128 (p = 0.485)
Stadium costs and income by team
| Burden rank | Team | Stadium | Metro area | Family cost | Annual median income | Monthly median income | Cost burden | Fan loyalty | Watch from stands | Income source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Bills | Highmark Stadium | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $2,193.95 | $72,300 | $6,025.00 | 36.41% | 78% | 24% | Source |
| 2 | Detroit Lions | Ford Field | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $2,109.50 | $76,403 | $6,366.92 | 33.13% | 73% | 23% | Source |
| 3 | Chicago Bears | Soldier Field | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $2,169.87 | $90,770 | $7,564.17 | 28.69% | 77% | 30% | Source |
| 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $2,116.94 | $90,850 | $7,570.83 | 27.96% | 73% | 13% | Source |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | Lambeau Field | Green Bay, WI | $1,805.49 | $79,876 | $6,656.33 | 27.12% | 79% | 25% | Source |
| 6 | Las Vegas Raiders | Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $1,805.99 | $80,028 | $6,669.00 | 27.08% | 91% | 24% | Source |
| 7 | Kansas City Chiefs | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO-KS | $1,647.13 | $83,785 | $6,982.08 | 23.59% | 83% | 13% | Source |
| 8 | Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $2,078.51 | $112,388 | $9,365.67 | 22.19% | 65% | 19% | Source |
| 9 | Dallas Cowboys | AT&T Stadium | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $1,685.15 | $92,733 | $7,727.75 | 21.81% | 88% | 11% | Source |
| 10 | New Orleans Saints | Caesars Superdome | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $1,131.19 | $62,373 | $5,197.75 | 21.76% | 80% | 20% | Source |
| 11 | Cincinnati Bengals | Paycor Stadium | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $1,475.85 | $81,489 | $6,790.75 | 21.73% | 63% | 24% | Source |
| 12 | Jacksonville Jaguars | EverBank Stadium | Jacksonville, FL | $1,456.53 | $82,053 | $6,837.75 | 21.30% | 86% | 31% | Source |
| 13 | Los Angeles Rams | SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $1,627.71 | $96,405 | $8,033.75 | 20.26% | 80% | 29% | Source |
| 14 | Miami Dolphins | Hard Rock Stadium | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $1,357.85 | $80,625 | $6,718.75 | 20.21% | 81% | 18% | Source |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Acrisure Stadium | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,254.20 | $77,214 | $6,434.50 | 19.49% | 82% | 23% | Source |
| 16 | Houston Texans | NRG Stadium | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $1,288.37 | $81,417 | $6,784.75 | 18.99% | 69% | 20% | Source |
| 17 | Denver Broncos | Empower Field at Mile High | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $1,655.57 | $108,046 | $9,003.83 | 18.39% | 78% | 23% | Source |
| 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $1,169.07 | $78,275 | $6,522.92 | 17.92% | 71% | 35% | Source |
| 19 | Carolina Panthers | Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $1,202.89 | $85,938 | $7,161.50 | 16.80% | 83% | 31% | Source |
| 20 | Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $1,369.44 | $97,928 | $8,160.67 | 16.78% | 66% | 22% | Source |
| 21 | Arizona Cardinals | State Farm Stadium | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $1,249.01 | $90,133 | $7,511.08 | 16.63% | 68% | 30% | Source |
| 22 | Indianapolis Colts | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $1,079.07 | $80,239 | $6,686.58 | 16.14% | 74% | 24% | Source |
| 23 | Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $1,232.67 | $92,344 | $7,695.33 | 16.02% | 75% | 31% | Source |
| 24 | Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $1,205.83 | $96,405 | $8,033.75 | 15.01% | 87% | 25% | Source |
| 25 | New York Giants | MetLife Stadium | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $1,236.89 | $99,852 | $8,321.00 | 14.86% | 83% | 24% | Source |
| 26 | New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $1,401.34 | $117,825 | $9,818.75 | 14.27% | 83% | 13% | Source |
| 27 | Baltimore Ravens | M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $1,158.96 | $98,666 | $8,222.17 | 14.10% | 77% | 34% | Source |
| 28 | New York Jets | MetLife Stadium | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $1,152.77 | $99,852 | $8,321.00 | 13.85% | 79% | 27% | Source |
| 29 | Cleveland Browns | Huntington Bank Field | Cleveland, OH | $823.13 | $72,532 | $6,044.33 | 13.62% | 63% | 29% | Source |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | Nissan Stadium | Nashville-Davidson–csbnfl-Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $993.45 | $88,800 | $7,400.00 | 13.42% | 72% | 14% | Source |
| 31 | San Francisco 49ers | Levi’s Stadium | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $1,778.56 | $164,801 | $13,733.42 | 12.95% | 86% | 14% | Source |
| 32 | Washington Commanders | Northwest Stadium | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $1,272.82 | $126,244 | $10,520.33 | 12.10% | 82% | 30% | Source |
