• by Tanya Gazdik , August 17, 2017

Major League Soccer or National Hockey League teams perform highest in 10 of the 11 markets included in a study of fan experience, and NFL teams perform at the bottom of every market.

The 2017 Fan Experience Study from J.D. Power measures fan satisfaction with their overall experience at major pro sporting events across seven factors (in order of importance): seating area and game experience; security and ushers; leaving the game; arriving at the game; food and beverage; ticket purchase; and souvenirs and merchandise. 

In last year’s inaugural study, only teams in the nation’s four largest markets—New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston—were evaluated. This year, the Bay Area, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Philadelphia, South Florida and Washington, D.C., have been added, while Los Angeles has been expanded to include all of Southern California.

The Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union score highest in their respective markets, while the Chicago Fire, FC Dallas and San Jose Earthquakes score second highest. The only MLS teams that buck the trend of rabid fan satisfaction are the Colorado Rapids and New York City Football Club (third) and DC United (fourth).

Study findings show that an NFL team performs at the bottom in every market. Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins score lowest in fan satisfaction in each market.

Franchises and clubs with winning records generally do not have problems filling seats, but this study is about finding out which teams are giving their fans the best experience for their dollar, said Greg Truex, senior director, sports research at J.D. Power. 

Truex said he was surprised that the NFL scored so poorly.

“It’s the most-popular, most-watched sport in the country,” Truex tells Marketing Daily. “I was very surprised that fans ranked their experience in each market as low as they did. NFL should be paying attention to these results in order to course-correct and provide a better experience. As NHL and MLS teams capture the top spots, sponsors will begin to take notice and want to be affiliated with these teams, as they provide a better experience than their NFL counterparts.”