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Study has Baltimore Ravens ranked as 12th best fanbase in the NFL

By Joe Schiller

Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Fans display their signs for Baltimore Ravens receiver Steve Smith (not pictured) after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-10. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Fans display their signs for Baltimore Ravens receiver Steve Smith (not pictured) after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-10. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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How does the Baltimore Ravens fanbase rank up against the rest of the NFL?

Every NFL fanbase is going to be biased and say they are the best. But when we dive into the numbers, which fanbase is really the best?

A study from Emory University took a look at fanbases in the NFL and ranked them. According to Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports, the rankings were based on a number of things that included home and road game attendance, amount of gear, bought social media engagement.

So where did the Ravens rank among the rest? They finished 6th in fan equity, 15th in social equity, and 26th in road equity. The categories were averaged out which put the Ravens at #12 overall.

Not surprisingly, the Cowboys, Patriots and Eagles rounded out the top-3 on the list.

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Looking at the study, this ranking seems about right for the Ravens. They had an average of 71,102 fans attend each home game, which was ranked 12th in the league. The problem is that Baltimore isn’t a big market city like a Dallas, Boston or New York. A lot more revenue is going to be generated in those cities.

Looking past the numbers

For the Ravens, the numbers do not do the fanbase justice. Ravens fans are some of the most loyal fans in the NFL. The franchise has along been around for a little over 20 years. Baltimore has a rich baseball history with the Orioles and they’ve been the most popular team for a long time. But with the recent success of the Ravens in the past 10 years, that is starting to change.

Like every franchise, there are ups and downs but Ravens fans have stayed true to their team.  Having been to games at M&T Bank Stadium, I say first-hand that Ravens fans love their football. The atmosphere is electric no matter where you are sitting in the stadium. The Ravens definitely have an advantage when they are playing at home, there’s no doubt about it.

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Overall, I can’t be made at the rankings. Given the size of the city that Baltimore is and the age of the franchise, it makes sense. However, I think this ranking will continue to improve as long as the Ravens are around.

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