American sports, Market research

Sports and the City – which US cities are home to the highest number of sports franchises?

What would Boston be without the Celtics? New York without the Yankees? Chicago without the Bears? It’s hard to imagine! In fact, a lot of major league teams in the US grew to be integral parts of their city’s identity. Let’s take a look at the most sports-crazy American cities with STATSCORE!

American sports are dominated by the so-called Big Four leagues, which comprise the National Football League (NFL), the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL).

Which US cities have the most sports franchises?

Currently, there are thirteen American cities (or, more precisely, metropolitan areas) represented by at least one team in each of these competitions. Eleven of these areas also host a team contesting the Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the fifth most popular competition in the country.

1. New York City – 11 franchises

New York City has the most major league sports franchises in the USA.

NFL: New York Giants, New York Jets
MLB: New York Yankees, New York Mets
NBA: New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets
NHL: New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers
MLS: New York Red Bulls, New York City FC

The Big Apple, along with its metropolitan area, is home to eleven franchises competing in the Big Five major leagues. This should come as no surprise, as the city’s metro area, inhabited by about 20 million people, is the largest in the country. The Yankees are the oldest of the franchises hosted by the city, as they were founded in 1901. They are also the most decorated of the New York’s teams (and, in fact, the most successful professional sports team in the USA) having won the World Series 27 times!

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Apart from the 11 teams competing in the top five leagues, the New York metropolitan area is home to a variety of professional and semi-professional teams participating in minor leagues, women’s leagues, and indoor leagues. These include New York Liberty (WNBA, Women’s National Basketball Association), Sky Blue FC (National Women’s Soccer League), New York Lizards (Major League Lacrosse) and many more.

2. Los Angeles – 10 franchises

Los Angeles area hosts 10 major league teams.

NFL: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers
MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers
NHL: Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks
MLS: LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC

The metropolitan area of the City of Angels, which is the second-largest in the US, is home to ten teams competing in the country’s five top sports – two for each league.

The most successful of the LA-based teams are the Lakers, who have won 17 NBA championships in their history,  which makes them the most successful team in the history of the league along with the Boston Celtics (also 17 titles). However, it’s worth noting that 5 of these titles were won when the team was called the Minneapolis Lakers. The franchise (named after Minnesota’s nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes) relocated to Los Angeles in 1960.

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The city also hosts many other pro or semi-pro teams, such as Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA). The Los Angeles NWSL expansion team is expected to join the women’s soccer league in 2022.

3. Chicago – 6 franchises

Chicago is home to 6 major league franchises.

NFL: Chicago Bears
MLB: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Socks
NBA: Chicago Bulls
NHL: Chicago Blackhawks
MLS: Chicago Fire

The Windy City, which is the heart of the third-largest metropolitan area in the US, is one of the most important sports hubs in the country and hosts some of the most famous and successful franchises.

Chicagoans are known to be die-hard fans of the Bears, which are called „the beloved” around town. The relationship between the city and the team (one of the oldest franchises in the NFL) is deeply rooted in history and reflected in a variety of ways, most recently in the support provided by players to the Chicago-area inhabitants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MLB’s Chicago Cubs (founded as Chicago White Stockings in… 1876!) also boast one of the most dedicated fanbases in the country.

Then, of course, you must have heard about the world-famous Chicago Bulls, which gave the world one of the most amazing dynasties in the history, not just of the NBA, but of sports in general!

Chicago is also home to the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars.

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4. San Francisco Bay Area – 6 franchises

There are 6 major league teams in the San Francisco Bay Area.

NFL: San Francisco 49ers
MLB: San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics
NBA: Golden State Warriors
NHL: San Jose Sharks
MLS: San Jose Earthquakes

The San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, is home to six major league teams, along with many other sports organizations.

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The oldest team located in the area are the 49ers. Established in 1946, as an original member of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC), they were the first major sports franchise based in San Francisco, and one of the first professional teams based on the Pacific Coast. They’re also the area’s most successful franchise, having won five NFL titles.

Prior to the 2020 NFL season, the area was also home to the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, which then relocated to Las Vegas.

What are the most popular US sports? Learn more!

5. From Dallas to Denver

What are the other cities with teams from all the five top leagues? Let’s take a look!

Metropolitan Area Number of teams NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS
Dallas – Fort Worth 5 Cowboys Rangers Mavericks Stars FC Dallas
Washington D.C. 5 Washington Football Team Nationals Wizards Capitals D.C. United
Philadelphia 5 Eagles Phillies 76ers Flyers Union
Miami–Fort Lauderdale 5 Dolphins Marlins Heat Panthers Inter
Boston 5 Patriots Red Sox Celtics Bruins Revolution
Minneapolis–Saint Paul 5 Vikings Twins Timberwolves Wind United FC
Denver 5 Broncos Rockies Nuggets Avalanche Rapids

 

The cities represented in all of the top major leagues in the US are certainly special ones in terms of their large and dedicated fanbase, which, apart from providing their cities with exciting sports vibes, translates into opportunities for sports-related businesses.

Their love for their team not only makes them buy merchandise, and follow media coverage related to their heroes, but also provides betting companies with customers eager to wager following their heart’s advice.

Attract sports fans to your betting website with STATSCORE’s trackers!

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