Even without the help of Taylor Swift going to Kansas City Chiefs games to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL is as popular as ever, with massive TV ratings and sold-out stadiums week after week. Some teams, however, have seen their fan bases grow really fast, especially on social media.
To determine the NFL teams with the fastest growing fanbases, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a study of the subject published by Betway, an online sports betting site. The site ranked teams by comparing their growth (or in one case, decline) in Instagram followers over the one-year period ranging from September 2022 to September 2023.
The results reveal some surprising risers — and a few falling stars. While old guard teams like the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers remain near the top for total followers, their growth has stalled compared to that of the majority of NFL teams. On the other hand, the Buffalo Bills have seen their followers increase by a whopping 39.61% — the largest growth of any NFL franchise by far.
With quarterback Josh Allen leading the way, Buffalo has quickly become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the last few years. Their high-flying offensive attack earned them an AFC Championship appearance in 2020, and hopes are high that Bills can break their Super Bowl drought soon. (These are the 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl.)
Other teams seeing their followers grow rapidly include the Cincinnati Bengals at 27.96%, the New York Jets at 24.64%, and the Philadelphia Eagles at 23.86%. Young stars like wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase of the Bengals, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a surprise second-round draft pick for the franchise in 2020, are bringing new energy and appeal to these long-suffering franchises. (Here are the best and worst draft picks in each NFL team’s history.)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: -0.55%
> Instagram followers: 1,400,000
31. Los Angeles Rams
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 1.47%
> Instagram followers: 1,700,000
30. Arizona Cardinals
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 1.80%
> Instagram followers: 1,100,000
29. Denver Broncos
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 1.96%
> Instagram followers: 1,400,000
28. Green Bay Packers
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 2.67%
> Instagram followers: 2,600,000
27. Cleveland Browns
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 3.13%
> Instagram followers: 1,400,000
26. Carolina Panthers
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 3.23%
> Instagram followers: 1,900,000
25. New England Patriots
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 3.89%
> Instagram followers: 5,000,000
24. New Orleans Saints
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 4.08%
> Instagram followers: 2,000,000
23. Washington Commanders
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 5.00%
> Instagram followers: 1,100,000
22. Indianapolis Colts
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 5.08%
> Instagram followers: 945,100
21. Seattle Seahawks
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 5.92%
> Instagram followers: 3,200,000
20. Las Vegas Raiders
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 5.93%
> Instagram followers: 2,200,000
19. Houston Texans
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 7.05%
> Instagram followers: 1,400,000
18. Chicago Bears
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 7.23%
> Instagram followers: 1,600,000
17. Atlanta Falcons
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 7.23%
> Instagram followers: 1,300,000
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 7.45%
> Instagram followers: 3,600,000
15. Tennessee Titans
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 7.77%
> Instagram followers: 908,300
14. Los Angeles Chargers
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 8.20%
> Instagram followers: 1,100,000
13. Baltimore Ravens
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 9.84%
> Instagram followers: 1,800,000
12. Dallas Cowboys
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 10.00%
> Instagram followers: 4,600,000
11. New York Giants
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 10.11%
> Instagram followers: 2,700,000
10. Minnesota Vikings
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 12.72%
> Instagram followers: 1,300,000
9. San Francisco 49ers
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 14.28%
> Instagram followers: 2,900,000
8. Miami Dolphins
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 15.87%
> Instagram followers: 1,600,000
7. Detroit Lions
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 19.21%
> Instagram followers: 1,100,000
6. Kansas City Chiefs
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 20.53%
> Instagram followers: 2,800,000
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 21.41%
> Instagram followers: 811,700
4. Philadelphia Eagles
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 23.86%
> Instagram followers: 2,700,000
3. New York Jets
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 24.64%
> Instagram followers: 1,100,000
2. Cincinnati Bengals
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 27.96%
> Instagram followers: 1,600,000
1. Buffalo Bills
> Instagram follower growth, September 2022-September 2023: 39.61%
> Instagram followers: 1,600,000