Supporting a sports team is about much more than seeing your side win. For many fans, it’s a crucial part of their identities, with fanbases fostering their own community in their local area and beyond by sharing the highs and lows of their team. But From AC Milan to The Anaheim Ducks, which teams have the most loyal fans?
At Gambling Zone we have dived into the data to find out, looking at the average home game attendance of teams worldwide over the last ten years compared to their stadium capacity.
The World’s Most Dedicated Fans
1) Dallas Cowboys
National Football League
Average Attendance: 114.5%
Dallas Cowboys fans can be crowned the world’s most dedicated fans. Fans regularly fill AT&T Stadium’s standard capacity of 80,000 seats. However, like many other stadiums, its seating can be expanded to 100,000 if necessary to accommodate the average of over 90,000 fans who attended each game last season.
2) Minnesota Wild
National Hockey League
Average Attendance: 104.5%
Up next are fans of the NHL team, The Minnesota Wild. With seats regularly selling out, their home stadium, the Xcel Energy Center, offers fans standing-room-only tickets to accommodate the average 18,600 fans attending each game, resulting in an average attendance of 104.5% over the last ten years.
3) San Jose Earthquakes
Major League Soccer
Average Attendance: 102.3%
Taking third place is the San Jose Earthquakes. One of the original ten teams in MLS, the Earthquakes have had nearly 30 years to build up their fanbase, winning two MLS Cups and two Supporter’s Shields along the way. Thanks to this legacy, the team had an average attendance of 102.3% last season.
The Most Dedicated Fans In The World’s Biggest Football Leagues
Bundesliga - Bayern Munich
Average Attendance: 100%
Bayern Munich has one of the largest fan bases in European football at over 320,000 members, dwarfing that of Barcelona and Manchester United. So it's no wonder the team averaged a 100% attendance rate over the last season. It’s also one of the most successful clubs in German football history, which adds to the attraction of seeing the team play at their home stadium.
English Premier League - Arsenal
Average Attendance: 99.7%
Arsenal has the most dedicated fans in the Premier League, averaging a 99.7% attendance rate over the last season. With 14 FA Cup titles, 17 Community Shields and numerous other awards, Arsenal are among the most successful Premier League teams ever. So it’s no surprise Arsenal matches are so well attended.
La Liga - Cádiz CF
Average Attendance: 84.1%
Despite spending only 14 seasons of their 113-year history in the top flight of Spanish football, Cádiz CF fans have the highest average La Liga attendance rate at 84.1%. The team was promoted back to La Liga after 14 seasons in the lower leagues, and this recent success could explain the high attendance rate from fans.
Ligue 1 - RC Lens
Average Attendance: 98.5%
RC Lens fans are the most dedicated supporters in Ligue 1, averaging a 98.5% attendance rate last season. Placing second to Paris Saint-Germain last season, the team has so many supporters it's stadium could fit the entire population of its hometown with room to spare.
Major League Soccer - San Jose Earthquakes
Average Attendance: 102.3%
Fans of the San Jose Earthquakes are the most loyal supporters in Major League Soccer. Earthquakes fans regularly filled their home stadium, PayPal Park, over their official capacity last season thanks to the sale of standing-room-only tickets, averaging an attendance rate of 102.3% per game.
Serie A - Inter Milan
Average Attendance: 95.7%
When it comes to Italian football, Inter Milan fans have the highest average attendance rate over the last season, regularly filling 95.7% of their seats per game. The only club to never be relegated from the top tier of Italian football, and with 35 domestic trophies under their belts, it's easy to see why fans flock to see Inter Milan play.
The Most Dedicated American Football Fans
1) Dallas Cowboys
Average Attendance: 114.5%
Thanks to their huge fan base across the US and reputation as America’s team, The Cowboys have had an impressive average attendance rate of 114.5% over the last ten years. Their stadium has an official capacity of 80,000 for football games, although this is often expanded to a maximum of 105,000 seats thanks to high demand.
2) San Francisco 49ers
Average Attendance: 102.1%
Up next are San Francisco 49ers fans, exceeding their stated capacity by an average of 2.1%. The team is hugely popular in the Bay Area thanks to the legacy left by Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice back in the 1980s when the 49ers won four Super Bowl championships.
3) Miami Dolphins
Average Attendance: 101%
The Miami Dolphins complete the top three NFL teams. The Dolphins are one of the oldest teams in the southeast US, so they’ve had plenty of time to build a loyal fanbase in their home state of Florida. Attendance averages 101% of the Hard Rock Stadium’s standard capacity for football games.
The Most Dedicated Basketball Fans
1) Miami Heat
Average Attendance: 100.6%
When it comes to basketball, the Miami Heat has the highest attendance rate in the NBA. Heat fans regularly exceed their stadium capacity by an average of 0.6% to catch a glimpse of 6 time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler. As with many other stadiums in the US, its capacity can be increased with demand, resulting in over 100% attendance on average.
2) Golden State Warriors
Average Attendance: 99.9%
Taking second place are the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are among the most successful basketball teams ever, holding the record for the most wins in a regular season and seven championship titles. This legacy means the team has a 99.9% attendance rate per game over the last ten years.
3) Los Angeles Lakers
Average Attendance: 99.5%
Next up are the legendary Los Angeles Lakers. The team has a rich history of wins, with 17 championships and 31 Hall of Famers, including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James. Despite only winning one championship over the last ten years, fans typically fill up an average of 99.5% of the Crypto.com Arena’s seats per game.
The Most Dedicated Hockey Fans
1) Minnesota Wild
Average Attendance: 104.5%
Based in Minnesota, often nicknamed The State of Hockey, It’s no surprise that Minnesota Wild fans are the most dedicated NHL supporters. The team has averaged a 104% attendance rate over the last ten years, thanks to high sales of standing-room-only tickets once games reach their official seating capacity.
2) Boston Bruins
Average Attendance: 101.5%
Up next are Boston Bruins fans, who have averaged a 101.5% attendance rate per game over the last ten years. Being one of the original six NHL teams, it’s no wonder the Bruins regularly exceed their stated capacity. They have built up an army of dedicated fans over their very successful 99-year history, including six Stanley Cup wins and 27 Division championships.
3) Nashville Predators
Average Attendance: 101%
In third place are fans of the Nashville Predators, averaging a 101% attendance rate over the last 10 years. Despite only holding a few trophies and titles, the Preds are beloved by fans who are known for smashing up cars painted in their opponent's colours. The team also reached peak attendance in the 2021-22 season with 108.1%.
The Most Dedicated Baseball Fans
1) Boston Red Sox
Average Attendance: 94%
Red Sox fans are the most dedicated when it comes to baseball, filling up an average of 94% of seats per game at their home stadium, Fenway Park. Despite a ten-year sellout streak from 2003 to 2013, attendance has declined recently thanks to their poor performance, with The Red Sox finishing in fifth place five times over the last ten seasons.
2) St. Louis Cardinals
Average Attendance: 93.4%
Boasting consistently high average attendance at home games of 93.4%, the St Louis Cardinals take second place. The Cardinals have built strong ties to their community over their rich 140-year history thanks to their 11 World Series wins and 19 National League pennants, making them one of the most successful teams in the MLB.
3) San Francisco Giants
Average Attendance: 92.5%
Rounding up the top three are Giants fans. Despite Oracle Park having a capacity of over 41,000, the stadium only averages around 39,000 per game. Like many other teams, attendance is still recovering post-pandemic, with an average of only 30,000 fans filling seats per game in 2022.
Methodology
To find the most loyal fans for each National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball team, we divided the attendance figures for each team’s home stadium over the last ten years according to ESPN and Wikipedia by the stadium’s listed capacity for each sport according to Stadium Scene and BETMGM. We then took an average across these years to reach the final percentage.
We then followed a similar process for the most loyal football fans, only taking into account the 2023 season due to relegations creating incomplete data. Stadium capacities for the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and Bundesliga were taken from The Stadium Guide. Attendance figures for these leagues were taken from Transfermarkt.
Stadium capacities for Major League Soccer teams were taken from Stadium Scene, and attendance figures were taken from Soccer Stadium Digest.
Note: sports seasons impacted by the COVID pandemic were excluded from the data due to the restrictions placed on attending these sporting events.
