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NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL & MLS Total Number of Facebook fans - Part 1, Raw Data

With a lull in the news and the MLS SuperDraft not being until January 15, I thought I would turn to Facebook fandom numbers for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL & MLS.  I've been tracking a couple of pages off and on but now I have complied a full list that covers all 5 leagues.  I realize that Sports Fan Graph tracks this information but I collected the final information from each Facebook page over the course of an hour or two last evening.  I prefer to work in my own Excel with a couple of different statistics included and this will also provide a historical snapshot to compare Facebook fandom in six months, 12 months, or six years down the line.

The full graph would take up almost the entire frontpage of Hot Time In Old Town so I've put it after the break.  It's true MLS teams have a long way to go but you might be surprised by how many sports organizations the Fire are ahead of.  They just hit 31,000 fans yesterday and that's not too shabby grounds to be on.

 

1

Los Angeles Lakers

4,726,762

NBA

2

New York Yankees

2,653,119

MLB

3

Boston Celtics

2,403,063

NBA

4

Dallas Cowboys

1,816,984

NFL

5

Boston Red Sox

1,692,332

MLB

6

Pittsburgh Steelers

1,284,704

NFL

7

New England Patriots

1,210,883

NFL

8

New Orleans Saints

1,029,637

NFL

9

Chicago Bears

994,147

NFL

10

Chicago Cubs

841,836

MLB

11

Chicago Bulls

754,292

NBA

12

Miami Heat

709,035

NBA

13

Philadelphia Phillies

694,058

MLB

14

San Francisco Giants

692,236

MLB

15

Indianapolis Colts

687,890

NFL

16

Minnesota Vikings

686,029

NFL

17

Green Bay Pakers

625,961

NFL

18

Cleveland Cavaliers

544,698

NBA

19

Montreal Canadiens

530,122

NHL

20

San Diego Chargers

519,604

NFL

21

St. Louis Cardinals

507,341

MLB

22

Chicago Blackhawks

472,791

NHL

23

Philadelphia Eagles

456,673

NFL

24

Miami Dolphins

454,334

NFL

25

Atlanta Braves

450,656

MLB

26

Minnesota Twins

450,280

MLB

27

New York Giants

449,336

NFL

28

Detroit Tigers

449,070

MLB

29

Washington Redskins

446,071

NFL

30

Oakland Raiders

443,437

NFL

31

Chicago White Sox

435,456

MLB

32

Los Angeles Dodgers

429,660

MLB

33

Orlando Magic

416,813

NBA

34

Denver Broncos

395,682

NFL

35

Texas Rangers

393,405

MLB

36

Detroit Red Wings

389,486

NHL

37

Pittsburgh Penguins

388,697

NHL

38

Philadelphia Flyers

372,311

NHL

39

San Francisco 49ers

366,202

NFL

40

Boston Bruins

364,781

NHL

41

Denver Nuggets

353,192

NBA

42

New York Jets

322,449

NFL

43

Seattle Seahawks

301,874

NFL

44

Cincinnati Bengals

294,595

NFL

45

Baltimore Ravens

290,095

NFL

46

New York Mets

287,499

MLB

47

Kansas City Chiefs

286,403

NFL

48

New York Knicks

284,018

NBA

49

Milwaukee Brewers

277,919

MLB

50

Vancouver Cancuks

272,580

NHL

51

San Antonio Spurs

268,335

NBA

52

Toronto Maple Leafs

255,408

NHL

53

Cincinnati Reds

247,643

MLB

54

Dallas Mavericks

246,384

NBA

55

Cleveland Indians

241,141

MLB

56

Phoenix Suns

239,588

NBA

57

Cleveland Browns

224,534

NFL

58

Seattle Mariners

220,034

MLB

59

Oakland Athletics

215,665

MLB

60

Tampa Bay Rays

210,047

MLB

61

Washington Capitals

209,304

NHL

62

Colorado Rockies

201,601

MLB

63

Oklahoma City Thunder

196,782

NBA

64

Houston Astros

196,346

MLB

65

Detroit Lions

192,795

NFL

66

Houston Rockets

182,887

NBA

67

Houston Texans

178,911

NFL

68

Portland Trail Blazers

178,621

NBA

69

Toronto Blue Jays

176,943

MLB

70

Buffalo Bills

162,882

NFL

71

San Diego Padres

161,095

MLB

72

Kansas City Royals

158,864

MLB

73

Los Angeles Angels

158,033

MLB

74

Tennessee Titans

156,672

NFL

75

Baltimore Orioles

155,022

MLB

76

Arizona Cardinals

153,669

NFL

77

Colorado Avalanche

152,095

NHL

78

Utah Jazz

151,792

NBA

79

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

144,556

NFL

80

Buffalo Sabres

141,343

NHL

81

New York Rangers

140,818

NHL

82

Seattle Sounders

138,021

MLS

83

San Jose Sharks

135,894

NHL

84

Toronto Raptors

133,240

NBA

85

Detroit Pistons

128,670

NBA

86

Atlanta Falcons

126,206

NFL

87

Golden State Warriors

124,782

NBA

88

Florida Marlins

117,279

MLB

89

Pittsburgh Pirates

113,918

MLB

90

Carolina Panthers

113,716

NFL

91

Jacksonville Jaguars

111,823

NFL

92

Minnesota Wild

109,812

NHL

93

New Jersey Devils

104,498

NHL

94

St. Louis Blues

95,152

NHL

95

Edmonton Oilers

94,425

NHL

96

Milwaukee Bucks

91,243

NBA

97

Carolina Hurricanes

85,792

NHL

98

Arizona Diamondbacks

83,459

MLB

99

Sacramento Kings

69,265

NBA

100

Anaheim Ducks

67,556

NHL

101

St. Louis Rams

67,535

NFL

102

Ottawa Senators

63,879

NHL

103

Philadelphia 76ers

59,263

NBA

104

Washington Nationals

58,052

MLB

105

Dallas Stars

53,047

NHL

106

Tampa Bay Lightning

51,753

NHL

107

Philadelphia Union

51,052

MLS

108

Calgary Flames

50,038

NHL

109

Atlanta Hawks

49,443

NBA

110

New York Red Bulls

46,280

MLS

111

Indiana Pacers

44,894

NBA

112

New Jersey Nets

42,226

NBA

113

Real Salt Lake

41,051

MLS

114

Los Angeles Kings

40,871

NHL

115

Minnesota Timberwolves

39,283

NBA

116

Nashville Predators

35,738

NHL

117

Los Angeles Galaxy

34,761

MLS

118

Charlotte Bobcats

34,339

NBA

119

New Orleans Hornets

31,890

NBA

120

Washington Wizards

31,228

NBA

121

Chicago Fire

31,038

MLS

122

Phoenix Coyotes

30,484

NHL

123

Memphis Grizzlies

29,833

NBA

124

Toronto FC

26,708

MLS

125

New York Islanders

25,038

NHL

126

Los Angeles Clippers

24,474

NBA

127

Sporting KC

24,088

MLS

128

D.C. United

23,621

MLS

129

New England Revolution

23,363

MLS

130

Columbus Blue Jackets

22,931

NHL

131

Florida Panthers

20,859

NHL

132

Portland Timbers

19,321

MLS

133

Houston Dynamo

14,879

MLS

134

Atlanta Thrashers

14,580

NHL

135

Columbus Crew

13,890

MLS

136

San Jose Earthquakes

12,506

MLS

137

Colorado Rapids

11,791

MLS

138

FC Dallas

11,634

MLS

139

Chivas USA

6,846

MLS

140

Vancouver Whitecaps

5,267

MLS

 

I'll have a couple of different parts to this that spread over the next couple of days but I think it helps to look at the raw data from top to bottom.  Clearly the Los Angeles Lakers are an institution of their own.  They have almost 8 times as many fans as the entire MLS and almost as many fans as the entire NHL. 

A couple of other random things that strike out at me.  There's only 1 NFL team in the top 5 but 10 NFL teams in the top 10 and 14 NFL teams in the top 30.  The lowest ranked MLB team is the Washington Nationals at No. 104 and the lowest NFL team is the St. Louis Rams at No. 101.  Starting from the bottom MLS team up, it takes the 5,000 or so Sporting KC fan to get the same amount of fans that the Seattle Sounders do.  Major props to the Seattle Sounder organization for that accomplishment.  Speaking of the bottom though, are we sure Vancouver is going to cover their own in this Cascadia Cup thing?  Facebook fans aren't everything but it's a pretty good gauge of fan support.  Who's asleep at the wheel in Vancouver?  Shouldn't they be taking advantage of the expansion feeling?

In terms of where the Fire are, it is decent compared to other MLS clubs but the sky is the limit.  The Cubs, Bears, Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks all rank near the top of their respective sports.  I do know that the Fire facebook page was at 8,000 fans or so at the beginning of the season so perhaps we are finally seeing the power of Chicago harnessed.  Oh, and yes 'Chicago Fire'  is hyperlinked to the Fire facebook page.  Can you give them a 'like' for the Holidays and if are already a fan, how about a 'suggest to all your friends'?  The Bulls beat the Washington Wizards last night, perhaps we can beat the Washington Wizards on Facebook before the end of today.