Coming in at #7 in the FanWide Top NFL Teams Ranking are the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers, also known as the Bay Bombers, have a history like no other. The 49ers have had two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in Joe Montana and Steve Young. In addition, the Niners have also had two of the best receivers in NFL history in Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. The star power of Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Ronnie Lott are essential in why the 49ers have won five Super Bowls. Those five Super Bowls were all won between a thirteen year period (1981-1994). The Bay Bombers have a fan base like no other, considering the fans are still as passionate today as they were in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Even though the past five seasons for the 49ers have been underwhelming, the wit of Kyle Shanahan and the talent of Jimmy Garoppolo will scare many opponents in this upcoming season.
Visit FanWide.com to find a San Francisco 49ers game watch party or fan club near you.
Here’s the list of teams which have been announced so far:
10) Seattle Seahawks
Teams were evaluated in 12 different categories (visit this blog post to see the methodology). The Broncos graded out as follows:
| Category | Count | NFL Rank |
| FanWide Fan Clubs | 135 | 13 |
| Total Social Media Followers (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter in millions) | 7.26 | 8 |
| Forbes Value (in billion) | 3.05 | 6 |
| Nationally televised games (2018) | 3 | 18 (tie) |
| Playoff Wins (past 10 years) | 5 | 8 (tie) |
| Playoff Wins (all time) | 31 | 5 |
| Super Bowl Wins (past 10 years) | 0 | 9 (tie) |
| Super Bowl Wins (all time) | 5 | 3 |
| All-Stars (past 10 years) | 20 | 16 |
| Hall of Famers | 27 | 7 |
| Average Attendance (2018) | 69,148 | 14 |
| Average Attendance Percentage (2018) | 100.9 | 4 |
Number of Fan clubs: 135 (13th)
The 49ers have 135 fan clubs listed with FanWide. If you want to start your own Niners fan club, please contact FanWide today.
Total Social Media Followers (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter): 7.26 (8th)
The 49ers rank at number 8 in aggregate social media followers. NFL franchises have started to use social media as a platform to build connections with their fans and increase fan interest. The Niners have 7.26 million total followers across Instagram (1,500,000 Followers), Facebook (3,700,000 Followers), and Twitter (2,060,000 Followers).
FanWide uses the number of followers each NFL team has on their Instagram and Twitter page, and the number of likes each team has on Facebook, as a way to determine how popular each NFL team is.
Forbes value (billion): 3.05 (6th)
The value of the San Francisco 49ers is 3.05 billion dollars, which is ranked 6th in the NFL. The value of each NFL team is based off of multiple factors such as stadium value, revenue and operating income from the 2017 season and revenue from non-NFL events such as concerts if the team also operates the stadium.
National Games Televised in 2019: 3 (18th – tie)
Nationally televised games are decided based off of the success of the team in the preceding season and the popularity of the team. Generally, nationally televised games tend to favor the “big markets”. The Niners had three nationally televised games last year, which gave them a rank of 18.
Number of playoff wins (past 10 years): 5 (8th)
Recent playoff success, even if it doesn’t culminate in a championship, is still an important indicator of team success. The Niners rank eighth in this category because of the powerful play of the Jim Harbaugh-led teams from 2011-2013. Players like Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis led the Niners to three consecutive conference championships and one Super Bowl.
Number of playoff wins (all time): 31 (5th)
The Niners rank 5th in number of playoff wins all time. The playoff success of a certain team is integral in a boost in fan popularity, especially historically. The 49ers are one of the most successful teams in the playoffs because of the great play from Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Steve Young.
Super Bowl Wins (past 10 years): 0 (9th – tie)
The Niners are tied in last in Super Bowl wins the past 10 years. A lot of people like being part of a fan base that supports a team that seems to make an appearance in the Super Bowl every year in recent memory. In the 2012 NFL season, the 49ers made the Super Bowl but were edged out by the John Harbaugh-led Ravens.
Super Bowl Wins (all time): 5 (3rd)
The Niners are ranked 5th in Super Bowl wins all time. Considering the Super Bowl was established 53 years ago, Super Bowl wins are vital when analyzing a team’s value and fan base. Super Bowl appearances increase a team’s exposure by engaging fans worldwide. It is important to consider historical championships, as they have played a role in building a current fan base.
Number of All Stars (past 10 years): 20 (16th)
The Niners, otherwise known as the Bay Bombers have been a team that always seems to have star power. Superstars like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and Patrick Willis were the players that were integral in creating a successful culture in San Francisco during their Championship runs.
Look for the Niners to have many more all stars in the coming years with the emergence of Jimmy Garoppolo. Jimmy Garoppolo, the quarterback, tore his ACL in the 2018 NFL season. Niners fans have a lot to look forward to considering they have an offensive-guru (Kyle Shanahan) that will mold many players into perennial all stars.
Hall of Famers: 27 (7th)
The Bay Bombers are ranked 7th in the NFL with Hall of Famers. Hall of Famers represent an NFL team’s success on and off the field throughout a franchise’s history. Similar to All-Star players, Hall of Famers carried their team towards a victory and also increased the amount of fan interest demonstrated on any particular team. FanWide used the amount of players inducted into the Hall of Fame from each team in order to measure the success of a particular team and their popularity in the past.
Average Attendance per NFL game (2018): 69,148 (5th)
The Niners ranked 14th in average attendance per NFL team last season. Team popularity is often correlated to teams with “big markets”. Generally the teams that are in the “big markets” play in the largest stadiums. For example, the Jets, Giants, Cowboys, and Rams play in the top five largest stadiums by capacity.
Average Home Capacity Percentage (2018): 100.9% (4th)
The Niners ranked 4th in average home capacity percentage last season. Although the size of the stadium is integral in engaging the most amount of fans, another way FanWide takes attendance into the ranking is the percentage of a stadium filled.
The San Francisco 49ers play at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California (44 miles from San Francisco). The Niners started playing in Levi’s Stadium in 2014 after the Niners had played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco for 42 seasons (1971-2013). Levi’s Stadium is unique due to its state-of-the-art fan experience. Fans are able to see exhilarating plays on the field because of the gigantic 48 feet high by 20 feet wide video board.
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