Carolina Panthers struggle the most to maintain fan enthusiasm each season, new ranking reveals
- A new ranking reveals which NFL teams fail to keep their fans engaged as each season progresses – with Carolina Panthers named the most boring
- The ranking monitored fans’ interest in each team from September to January each year, using search data to identify any fluctuations in interest
- For the last three years, Panthers fans’ interest rates have dropped by an average of 55% from the start to the end of each football season
- The most captivating team is the Cincinnati Bengals, as the average fan sees a huge 363% increase in interest once the season ends each year
A new ranking identifies the NFL teams that most struggle to maintain fan enthusiasm as the football season progresses each year – with the Carolina Panthers named the most boring.
The comparison, pulled together by Canada Sports Betting, analyzed nationwide Google searches for each NFL team made from September to January for the past three years, to reveal whose fans typically lose interest over the season – and who becomes more invested.
The searches included all aspects of team support, including searching for upcoming fixtures, purchasing tickets and merchandise, and catching up on team performance.
And it turns out that just over two-fifths (42%) of teams see a loss in fan backing from the start of the season to the end, as their performance fails to inspire their supporters.
None have seen a bigger drop in interest than the Carolina Panthers, with the average fan reporting a 55% decline in searches from the start of the regular season each year. The biggest loss in interest occurred last year, as searches decreased by over two-thirds (67%).
Over the last three years, fans lost the most enthusiasm for the Panthers’ performance just after December 2021, with searches dropping by 64% throughout the month. This was after the team hit a seven-game losing streak and failed to improve their previous 5-11 record.
However, fans appeared to head into the subsequent 2022 season with optimism, as searches around tickets, performance, and more skyrocketed by 58% in September.
Following the Carolina Panthers as the second team that saw the biggest drop in fan support were the Cleveland Browns – with the team also regularly failing to improve on their record.
The average Browns fan’s enthusiasm dropped by 54% throughout the season, with the biggest loss occurring last year. This saw interest drop by 45% as the season drew to a close – despite their 24-10 win to the Washington Commanders at the start of January.
Rounding out the top three teams with the most disinterested fans is the Atlanta Falcons, who see an average interest drop-off rate of 44% from the season start to end.
The 10 teams that see the biggest loss in fan interest each season
Team | Avg Interest Drop-Off Rate | Worst Month Last Season | Team | Avg Interest Drop-Off Rate | Worst Month Last Season |
| Carolina Panthers | -55% | November | New Orleans Saints | -30% | November |
| Cleveland Browns | -54% | January | Houston Texans | -27% | January |
| Atlanta Falcons | -44% | December | New York Jets | -23% | January |
| Chicago Bears | -43% | January | Miami Dolphins | -12% | October |
| Denver Broncos | -37% | November | Detroit Lions | -10% | January |
Interestingly, no team saw a loss of interest in the first month of every season, compared to August, suggesting that fans head into a new year eager to see their team succeed.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can claim the most optimistic fans at the start of every year, as they report a huge 392% increase in interest ahead of the season’s usual September start.
However, some teams see their fans’ interest tail off and fade away as the season progresses, while others see their fans become more engaged – especially the Cincinnati Bengals, as the typical fan’s searches increased by 281% throughout the year.
The Bengals’ fans are also among some of the most invested and optimistic as a new season approaches, reporting a 220% rise in interest just before a September kick-off.
Other teams that saw an uptick in fan investment included the Philadelphia Eagles, with the average fan growing 95% more invested in their performance, and the Dallas Cowboys, who see a 42% increase in fan dedication as the season progresses.
Generally speaking, the month that sees the biggest loss in interest each year – regardless of which team fans support – was revealed to be November, with a typical 14% decline in searches, as fans appear to grow bored at this point every season.
Speaking on the findings, a Canada Sports Betting spokesperson said: “Fans show their support in a variety of different ways, but one of the clearest ways to determine how a team is being received is to see how many people are actively searching for regular performance updates – so it doesn’t bode well for the Carolina Panthers as the new season approaches.
“While it’s a shame that so many teams see a loss in interest as the season progresses, it will be interesting to see whether this study’s lower-ranking teams manage to break their previous records and get an unexpected uptick in fan backing as a result, this year.”
Data gathered from Google Keywords Explorer. Washington Commanders were excluded from the final ranking due to low keyword volume.
Full NFL team breakdown and associated start-to-end season interest rates below:
| Team | Avg Interest Rate Fluctuation |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 281.2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 241.5 |
| Buffalo Bills | 228.4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 174.6 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 119.8 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 94.9 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 89.8 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 70.1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 41.6 |
| Green Bay Packers | 38.7 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 32.2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 24.9 |
| Tennessee Titans | 21.2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 14.1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7.3 |
| New England Patriots | 4.6 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3.8 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 2.3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | -4.0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | -8.1 |
| New York Giants | -9.1 |
| Detroit Lions | -9.9 |
| Miami Dolphins | -12.0 |
| New York Jets | -22.8 |
| Houston Texans | -27.1 |
| New Orleans Saints | -29.7 |
| Denver Broncos | -37.2 |
| Chicago Bears | -42.6 |
| Atlanta Falcons | -44.0 |
| Cleveland Browns | -53.6 |
| Carolina Panthers | -54.8 |