If anyone was to doubt the loyalty of Bills Mafia, a new report released by Nielsen gives Buffalo Bills fans a quantitative rebuttal.
Nielsen announced its inaugural NFL Fandom Index on Monday — a ranking metric that aims to look beyond traditional viewership data to determine the league's top fans.
Buffalo ranked No. 1.
"This comprehensive study moves beyond simple headcount to identify where the sport’s pulse beats strongest, revealing that America’s most avid fans are often found in the heart of its mid-sized legacy markets," Nielsen wrote.
The ratings took the following eight metrics into account: apparel purchases, general interest levels, live event attendance, betting intent, social media engagement, radio listenership, streaming habits, and linear TV viewership.
The Buffalo DMA recorded an average index of 208 — the only market to score more than 200. Kansas City came in second at 194, followed by Green Bay/Appleton (172), Cincinnati (160), and Philadelphia (151). New York City scored the lowest, at 85.
Nielsen noted the "small market, concentrated loyalty" pattern drove much of the placements, as the bottom-five markets included other major metro areas such as Los Angeles and Miami.
