Americans love sports. That blanket statement would come as a surprise to no one. There’s a reason baseball is called America’s pastime, and there’s a reason the NFL calls Football America’s favorite sport. It’s true: we love our sports. We love them so much that fans cheer on their favorite teams with their wallets alongside of their pom-poms.
A night out at the ballgame can cost fans a pretty penny. There are no sporting events that are more valuable or expensive than tickets to the Superbowl. The World Series, wherever it’s held, is always expensive, too. Not to mention the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2018, the average price for a ticket to the Stanley Cup Finalswas over $1,000.
Fans know it’s better to be a fan in some cities than in others – especially when and if your team doesn’t have a winning track record (or if they do).
These are the best cities for sports fans in 2018 based on the count of championships over the last 50 years.
New York
The eight sports teams in New York state boast a strong record. They’ve won 21 championships over the last 50 years, with professional players from the state becoming legends what seems every year. Fans have a lot to choose from in terms of franchises to support – ranging from the New York Knicks to the Giants and beyond.
Los Angeles
The City of Angels is now home to a handful of franchises in the different major league sports. Just like New York, there are eight teams who call LA home. They don’t have the same record as New York, but to be a fan of an LA team right now is a good time. USC and UCLA are fun to follow, too.
Boston
The city’s slogan for the Patriots — “You hate us ‘cause you ain’t us” — should be fairly telling when it comes to being a fan of Boston sports. Each team has a fairly consistent record, meaning that at any point in time, they’re highly ranked and highly competitive.
Boston’s four professional teams have seen 18 championships in the last 50 years which is just one below Los Angeles’ teams, for half the franchise price; there are only four professional teams in Boston.
Chicago
For Major League Baseball fans, Chicago is a fan haven. The Cubs are the most expensive MLB team to see play live in the whole country.
There are a lot of different ways to rank cities based on their fans, however Chicago ranks very high in two of the major league sports – MLB and NHL – and that’s how they’ve found themselves in the top 5 fan cities.
Pittsburgh
Fans of the Steelers and the Penguins know their consistency – fans of Pittsburgh sports teams aren’t left disappointed often, especially with Sidney Crosby at the helm. With the nickname, “City of Champions”, it’s almost always a good time to be a Pittsburgh fan. Of all the teams in the top, the Pittsburgh teams are also some of the most cost effective – it doesn’t pay too steeply to be a fan.
What does it cost to be a fan in your city?