An analysis of fan support for ‘America’s Team’ across the United States, according to TikTok users.
The Dallas Cowboys have long been one of the most recognizable and popular sports franchises in the United States.
Their fan base, often referred to as "America's Team", spans far beyond the borders of its Texas homeland.
NFL franchises like the Dallas Cowboys boast millions of followers on TikTok in 2024, and we can quantify how far their online fanbase spreads throughout the United States.
In which US states and major cities can you find the strongest support for the Dallas Cowboys? To find out, we measured the number of local people that are categorized as fans (per 1,000 people) on TikTok Audience Insights.
New Mexico Nearly Equals Texas for Dallas Cowboys Fans
Ranking first is Texas, the home state of the Dallas Cowboys, boasting 43.7 fans per 1,000 TikTok users.
Coming a close-second is New Mexico with 42.9 local fans per 1,000 TikTokers. Its proximity to Texas, combined with its relatively small TikTok user base of 559,000, could help to explain why the state has such a high density of Cowboys fans.
The allure of the Cowboys’ success, history, and brand may also resonate even more strongly in a state without its own NFL team, leading to higher levels of fandom.
While the Cowboys boast a strong central spine of support from North Dakota down to Oklahoma, their popularity diminishes eastward, particularly in the Northeast.
New York, a state home to both the New York Giants and the New York Jets, has just 13.6 Dallas Cowboys fans per 1,000 TikTok users. The well-known rivalry that exists between the Giants and the Cowboys means the Texas franchise were always going to struggle to appeal to New York-based NFL fans.
Similarly, states like Massachusetts (14.1), Connecticut (14.2), and New Jersey (17.1) reflect lower Cowboys support, as they are dominated by local fan bases like the Patriots and Giants.
Explore the Dallas Cowboys Support in Every U.S. State Below
Corpus Christi is the Texas City with the Strongest Support for the Dallas Cowboys
Here we delve into the most populous cities in Texas to discover where the Dallas Cowboys have the largest percentage of fans, according to local TikTok users.
One in thirteen TikTok users (76.6 per 1,000) based in Corpus Christi, TX support the Dallas Cowboys. This is the largest proportion of any city in Texas. Also ranking highly on Cowboys fans are Midland (74.4) and Odessa (70.9).
Odessa's football culture runs deep in the city. The Odessa Permian Panthers are one of the most storied high school football programs in the country, also chronicled in the highly-rated TV series Friday Night Lights that is based on a novel of the same name.
The city’s love for football naturally extends into NFL fandom, making the Dallas Cowboys the team of choice for many residents.
While the small-to-medium-sized cities represent strong Cowboys support in Texas, the larger, typically more diverse urban centers of Houston (26.1), Austin (29.6) and Dallas (37.4) have fewer than half the proportion of fans as in Corpus Christi.
Houston's support naturally favours the Houston Texans with 48.5 per 1,000 fans of the Texans located there. Austin is also well-known for its strong focus on college sports, particularly the University of Texas Longhorns, which can dominate the local sports scene.
Dallas has numerous professional sports teams such as the Dallas Mavericks (MLB) and the Dallas Stars (NHL) which can split fan loyalty among different sports and teams.
Methodology
Analysts at Sporting Post retrieved the number of TikTok users per US state and per major Texas city overall and the number who are categorized as Dallas Cowboys fans, according to their interests and engagement on TikTok Audience Insights. They then ranked each location on the percentage of Dallas Cowboys fans per 1,000 TikTok users. Data correct as of September 2024.
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