Study suggests Steelers rank No. 5 in NFL 'fandom'
In one metric, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain behind the New England Patriots once again.
They also trail the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.
The category is NFL fandom, a study that Emory University business school professor Michael Lewis has compiled in recent years.
In data that Lewis released Monday, the Steelers rank No. 5 among NFL teams, trailing (in order) the Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles and Giants.
Lewis bases his annual rankings on economic and marketing theory and statistical analysis. Some of the factors used in gauging fan interest include attendance, revenue, social media following and road attendance. He also weighs market size and short-term changes in winning and losing.
The @dallascowboys, @Patriots, @Eagles, @Giants, & @steelers top this year's #NFL rankings by Prof. Lewis. The @Bengals, @Jaguars, @Titans, @Chiefs, & @RamsNFL are on the bottom of the list. https://t.co/Fe2PePPDKF pic.twitter.com/zHvcmUgVss
— Emory MAC (@Emory_MAC) June 24, 2019
The Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles and Giants are in the top five for the third consecutive year. The second tier of teams include the Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.
At least the Steelers have the best fans, in Lewis’ estimation, in the AFC North. The Ravens ranked No. 18, the Browns came in No. 27 and the Bengals occupied the bottom five at No. 28.
The complete list and the methodology can be found here.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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