To the chagrin of passionate NFL fans across the county, Dallas Cowboy fans have been named the most loyal in the NFL, according to a recent study by Emory University’s Sports Marketing Analytics department. Dubbed ‘America’s team’ in the late 1970’s, it appears the moniker rings true today.
The study, based on a revenue premium model of fan equity, analyzed team box office revenue relative to a set of variables for each team, including winning percentage, pricing, stadium capacity, metro area population, metro area median income. Analysts created a model to predict team revenue based on this set of variables, and then compared actual revenues to revenues predicted by the model. Teams with revenue higher than predicted by the model earned stronger fan support than those with revenue lower than predicted by the model.
Dallas Cowboys fans ranked most loyal, followed by the New England Patriots, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants, when examining the last three years of actual revenue results for each team compared to results predicted by the model. Several of the teams with strong fan loyalty draw well regardless of the product that is on the field. For example, attendance for the Cowboys has been above capacity despite a winning percentage of .500 or worse during the previous three seasons. In football-crazed Texas, the old movie line “If you build it, they will come” has proved to be true since opening a new state of the art stadium in 2009. The Cowboys have a strong brand legacy to lean on and ticket holders can wax nostalgic about a childhood when the Cowboys dominated; the team still holds the record for the most consecutive winning seasons by any NFL team (from 1966 to 1985).
There is some vindication for the millions of devoted Broncos and Steelers fans out there in disbelief about the rankings. The analysts also looked at the last decade of actual revenue results, to understand longer term implications of the factors that can drive loyalty and how loyalty may ebb and flow across teams. When looking at the last decade, New England Patriot fans were most loyal, followed by Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts saw the biggest improvement in fan loyalty when comparing results for the last three years to those for the last decade, showing that understanding and investing in the factors that can motivate fans to buy tickets, such as franchise players (Peyton Manning for the Colts) and stadium experience (Dallas Cowboys Stadium), can pay off.
How can a non-NFL brand apply these findings to their own loyalty strategy? NFL fans are known to be very passionate about their teams, but there are themes that emerge from this study that can be applied by brand marketers. First, understand the competition and how to differentiate. Teams in markets with low college football presence fared better than those with a presence from big college football conferences, like the Big10 and SEC. New York City and Boston are not college football hotbeds, for example.
Understand market demand and areas of opportunity. Texas is crazy for football. The level of demand there supports football on Friday (high school), Saturday (college) and Sunday (pro).
Create an exceptional customer experience. AT&T Stadium (formerly Dallas Cowboys stadium) created nationwide buzz when it opened in 2009, offering the world’s largest high definition video display, among other amenities.
Offer a consistent product and experience. Teams built around a franchise quarterback fared better than those who lacked a consistent starting quarterback in recent years. Fans of the New England Patriots (Tom Brady), New Orleans Saints (Drew Brees), New York Giants (Eli Manning) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger), among others, know what to expect from their on-field product.