Baseball, Fan Clubs, Fan Data, Top 10, watch party

Top 10 Baseball Teams: #4 Chicago Cubs

FanWide’s #4 team on the Top 10 Baseball Teams list is the Chicago Cubs. Few teams can match the history, good and bad, of the Chicago Cubs. In 2016, the Cubs broke the 71 year “Curse of the Billy Goat”, a period in which did not even appear in a World Series, let alone win a championship. Now, led by young stars such as third baseman Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and second baseman Javier Baez, the Cubs hope to win another World Series soon. Led by top 10 finishes in every category and top 3 showings in fan clubs, regular season wins, national games televised, and Forbes value, the Cubs can proudly call themselves FanWide’s #4 Baseball Team.  

Visit FanWide.com to find a Chicago Cubs game watch party or fan club near you.

Teams were evaluated in 9 different categories (visit this blog post to see the methodology). The Cubs graded out as follows:

Baseball, Fan Clubs, Fan Data, Top 10, watch party

Top 10 Baseball Teams: #5 St Louis Cardinals

Coming in at #5 on the Top 10 Baseball Teams list is the St. Louis Cardinals. One of baseball’s premier teams, both past and present, the Cardinals graded out exceptionally well, with above-average showings in every category led by the most recent playoff wins and the second most World Series wins and second highest average attendance. In a St. Louis market without an NBA or NFL team, the Cardinals have come to represent the city and its fans, who are often considered among the best in baseball. Through their frequent success, they have represented St. Louis well. With the additions of All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and lefty reliever Andrew Miller to an already-strong roster, the Cards look poised to bring even more success to St. Louis this upcoming season.

Visit FanWide.com to find a St. Louis Cardinals game watch party or fan club near you.

Basketball, Top 10

The Top 10 Arenas in the NBA as Chosen by Fans

Any true-blue sports fan would agree that very few things can match the thrill of watching a game live. This is why stadium owners do everything in their power to enhance the in-arena experience. Doing so ensures that fans enjoy every second. That being said, Business Insider ran a poll last October to find out which arenas in the NBA are the best. Here are the top 10:

10. TD Garden – Boston Celtics

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Baseball, Fan Clubs, Sports Data, Top 10, watch party

Top 10 Baseball Teams: #6 San Francisco Giants

FanWide’s #6 team on the Top 10 Baseball Teams list is the San Francisco Giants. The Giants’ most notable recent achievement is their incredible “even year” run: the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Their widespread popularity, however, extends beyond the team’s on-field success. With the recent growth of Silicon Valley and the tech industry, more and more people have migrated to the Bay Area, increasing the number of prospective Giants fans. Oracle Park (formerly AT&T Park), widely considered one of the best ballparks in the MLB, occupies a prime spot in downtown San Francisco on the water, making it a popular destination. The team also benefits from the presence of charismatic superstars like lefty ace Madison Bumgarner and former MVP catcher Buster Posey. A combination of all these factors and more earned the Giants the sixth spot among FanWide’s Top 10 Baseball Teams.

Visit FanWide.com to find a San Francisco Giants game watch party or fan club near you.

Fan Data, Soccer, Sports Data, Sports Fan Data, Top 10

Top European Soccer Teams: #8 Juventus FC

With the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus FC has all but secured their next term of Italian football dominance. Juventus has been the team to beat in Italy’s Serie A for years, and adding the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has kept them atop the league standings. Ronaldo has done more for Juventus than dominate the pitch. In the 24 hours after Ronaldo’s signing, Juventus sold 520,000 Ronaldo jerseys worth over $60 million. When Barcelona signed Neymar Jr., they sold just 10,000 in the same span. In short, Juventus got what they paid for. There is a reason Ronaldo signed with Juventus. Aside from the $140 million contract, Ronaldo joined Juventus because of their tradition of success. With 34 Italian league titles, Juventus is an established European football powerhouse. Their success on and off the field has landed them the #8 spot in FanWide’s European soccer rankings. Read below to find out what makes them a top ten team, and check out this blog for more information regarding the ranking process.

Visit FanWide.com to find a Juventus FC game watch party or fan club near you.

Baseball, Fan Clubs, Sports Data, Sports Fan Data, Top 10, watch party

Top 10 Baseball Teams: #7 Houston Astros

Number 7 on the Top 10 Baseball Teams list is the Houston Astros. When the ‘Stros switched from the National to American League in 2013, they were in the midst of a lengthy rebuild. In 2015, however, they burst onto the scene, making the playoffs and defeating the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the AL Wild Card game. From there, the Astros cemented themselves as one of the top teams in baseball.

Their lengthy rebuild netted them several top draft picks, such as outfielder George Springer, shortstop Carlos Correa, and third baseman Alex Bregman. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the city of Houston rallied around the Astros, and led by MVP second baseman Jose Altuve and newly-acquired ace righty Justin Verlander, a World Series title came to Houston for the first time. Now, as one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros hope to make another World Series run in 2019.

Visit FanWide.com to find a Houston Astros game watch party or fan club near you.

Fan Clubs, Fan Data, Soccer, Sports Fan Data, Top 10

Top European Soccer Teams: #10 Borussia Dortmund

For years, FanWide has collected proprietary data surrounding fan clubs and fan engagement in each of the major sports. FanWide’s fan club network has given us unique access to metrics that measure more than just a team’s success in competition. We can now measure the strength of sports communities. Using its proprietary data, FanWide has announced its rankings for the top ten teams in various sports.

These rankings account for and weigh fan engagement, popularity, historical success, and current relevance. The result? Unique lists, based on facts and statistics, that nobody else has ever been able to cultivate. FanWide is taking its fan club network and using it alongside its deep investment in sports culture in order to bring forth an accurate representation of the sports landscape today. In our analysis of European football, Borussia Dortmund ranked 10th among international football clubs. For more about how the European soccer rankings were created, check out this blog.

FanWide’s #10 Team: Borussia Dortmund

In recent years, Borussia Dortmund has rapidly gained popularity in America. While the German club has been prominent for years in their home country, word of their success has traveled to the United States in part because of star Dortmund midfielder/winger Christian Pulisic. The 20-year-old American has established himself as a key component of Team USA. With all of his success back home, Pulisic has brought along a new wave of American Borussia Dortmund fans.

Time will tell if these fans will remain loyal once Pulisic departs for Chelsea next season, but Dortmund has made an effort to retain the fanbase. Dortmund traveled to America multiple times in the summer of 2018, making stops in Los Angeles to play Los Angeles F.C, Charlotte to play Liverpool, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, near Pulisic’s hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania. All of Dortmund’s recent publicity is adding up as they become one of the elite European football clubs. Read below to find out what makes Borussia Dortmund a top ten European soccer team.

Visit FanWide.com to find a Borussia Dortmund game watch party or fan club near you.

Fan Clubs, Fan Data, Soccer, Sports Fan Data, Top 10

Introducing the Top European Soccer Teams

It’s the most popular sport in the world, and second place isn’t even close. Soccer dominates everything from street corners to professional pitches across the globe. While the sport continues to grow on the professional level in the United States, mainstream soccer fandom lives elsewhere. Since its inception, each and every World Cup winner has come from either South America or Europe.

Currently, the talent is coming from these two continents, but in league play, European soccer dominates in almost every metric, in part because of their willingness to pay unprecedented amounts of money for top talent. Seeing this, FanWide began evaluating over 100 soccer clubs across 5 leagues. Eventually, we took the consensus 15 most prominent clubs from the English Premier League of England, La Liga of Spain, Bundesliga of Germany, Serie A of Italy, and Ligue 1 of France, and compiled data that has allowed us to rank the top 10 European soccer clubs.

The top 10 European soccer clubs have consistently succeeded on and off the field, balancing championship hardware and bragging rights with fan engagement and international relevance. No team on this list has one and not the other. Read below to get an inside look at how FanWide cultivated a top ten list that uses its proprietary fan data to rank teams based on more than just production on the field.

FanWide's Top 10 Euro Teams

Baseball, Fan Clubs, watch party

Top 10 Baseball Teams #10: Cleveland Indians

Coming in at number 10 in FanWide’s Top 10 Baseball Teams competition is the Cleveland Indians. An important part of the recent Cleveland sports renaissance, the Indians have been one of the best teams in baseball over the past few season, with three straight AL central titles. Led by an elite pitching staff and an impressive lineup, the Indians look poised to have another strong season in 2019. Despite a smaller market size, Indians fans remain steadfast in their commitment to the team, earning them the tenth spot in the competition.

Visit FanWide.com to find a Cleveland Indians game watch party or fan club near you.

Teams were evaluated in 9 different categories (visit this blog post to see the methodology). The Indians graded out as follows:

Baseball, Fan Clubs, Top 10, watch party

Top 10 Baseball Teams: Introduction

Though the game has changed over the years, the popularity of America’s Pastime had never waned. No other American sport has rich depth of history of Major League Baseball. FanWide’s Top 10 Sports Teams series will be highlighting the most popular teams of the MLB, the NBA, and European soccer. The Top 10 Baseball Teams are a group of teams with rich histories, recent successes, widespread relevance, and, of course, passionate fans. From the even-year magic to the breaking of curses to 27 championships to a franchise win record capped off by another World Series title, follow FanWide’s blog to find out if your team made the Top 10 Baseball Teams. 

FanWide's Top 10 MLB Teams