Social media has completely changed the way people view and follow sports.
The NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB are the four major American sports leagues, and their teams have massive followings.
It is interesting to note that, despite the NFL having the highest ratings among the four major sports leagues, only two NFL teams crack the list of the top 10 most followed among the four major leagues.
Another note is that despite a lot of talk about poor NBA ratings, the top seven most followed teams are NBA teams.
The social media sites are Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Top 10 Most Followed American Sports Teams Across Social Media
Social media has changed the way people view content. Athletes are able to take full advantage of their popularity by using social media to gain more followers.
The top 10 most followed American sports teams across social media:
- 1. Los Angeles Lakers: 63.8 million followers
- 2. Golden State Warriors: 63.0 million followers
- 3. Chicago Bulls: 34.8 million followers
- 4. Cleveland Cavaliers: 28.8 million followers
- 5. Miami Heat: 27.4 million followers
- 6. Houston Rockets: 26.8 million followers
- 7. Boston Celtics: 23.4 million followers
- 8. Dallas Cowboys: 20.8 million followers
- 9. New England Patriots: 17.9 million followers
- 10. New York Yankees: 17.9 million followers
The majority of the followers for each sports team come from Facebook and Instagram.
The Los Angeles Lakers have the most social media followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube. It is not surprising that they lead the NBA in followers. Having LeBron James and acquiring Luka Doncic during the season is a big reason why the Lakers have the most followers. They were also the most popular team in the NBA before LeBron and Luka.
Number two on the list is the Golden State Warriors. Much like the Lakers with LeBron, the Warriors have their superstar in Stephen Curry. Curry is the second most popular player in the NBA after LeBron. Golden State also went on a championship spree with Curry, making them very popular.
After the Lakers and Warriors, there is a major dropoff for the third spot. The Chicago Bulls come in third with almost half of the followers the Warriors and Lakers have. Michael Jordan’s presence remains strong in the NBA as the Bulls are the third most followed team across the four major sports leagues, but have been fairly irrelevant since Jordan retired. There is no other reason the Bulls are as followed as they are on social media but for Michael Jordan.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the fourth most followed team, and this is likely due to having LeBron James for a while. James played for the Cavs between 2003-2010 and then again from 2014-2018. He would help the Cavs gain a lot of followers.
Another former LeBron James team, the Miami Heat, is the fifth most followed sports team. The Miami Heat is a popular sports team, and players like LeBron and Dwayne Wade helped them become even more popular on social media.
The Houston Rockets are sixth and the Boston Celtics are seventh on the list. These are two popular NBA teams. They both have a great history in the NBA with a lot of fans.
We finally get the first NFL teams to make the list. The Dallas Cowboys are eighth, and the New England Patriots are ninth on the list. The Dallas Cowboys are the most popular NFL team. It is no surprise that they lead the NFL teams in social media followers. Tom Brady is the reason why the Patriots are ninth on the list.
The only MLB team to make the list is the New York Yankees. They are the most popular MLB team, and it is no surprise that they make the list. The Yankees have the tenth most followers on social media.
Some Notes On The List
The top 10 list is somewhat surprising. Seven of the top 10 teams that are most followed on social media are NBA teams. Despite talk of decreased ratings, the NBA is widely viewed on social media. This shows how popular the NBA is around the world.
However, despite seven of the top 10 teams being NBA teams, the New York Knicks did not make the list. They are arguably the second most popular team in the NBA after the Lakers, but do not have a large social media following. This shows the power of players like LeBron James and Steph Curry. Today, Michael Jordan’s presence is still felt as the Bulls are the third most followed sports team. The Houston Rockets make the list because of Yao Ming’s popularity in China.
No NHL team made the list. This is not very surprising as the NHL is the fourth most popular sport in the US. The NHL is more popular in Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a big following in Canada, but not enough for them to make the top 10 list. The NBA is far more popular around the world than the NHL.
Just two NFL teams made the list, despite having by far the highest ratings. Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs did not make the list. Patrick Mahomes is the face of the NFL, but this has not translated to massive social media followers.
Only one MLB team made the list. The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers did not make the top 10 list.
While NBA ratings may be down, their presence on social media is strong. The NBA is very popular around the world, contributing to its social media success.
