Top 5 US Sports Cities: Where Fans Live and Breathe Sports

The United States of America is filled with sports leagues and teams, and nearly every major city has at least one squad they can root for. Merium-Webster defines a fan as an enthusiastic devotee (of a sport or a performing art), usually as a spectator, and the vast majority of Americans are a fan of at least one sports team.

In this article, we reviewed the various United States cities and gave our two cents about which cities have the most devoted fans who live and breathe sports.

#5 – Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California, has the second-most professional sports teams across the five major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS), as they’re home to the Chargers, Rams, Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, Kings, Ducks, Galaxy and LAFC. Although the Ducks and Angels are located in Anaheim, they’re still considered part of the LA metropolitan area, and you’ll find their fans throughout the city.

Now, the Lakers are the most recognizable team from LA, and the Staples Center was the most famous arena throughout the 20th century. Across the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, LA has won 26 championships, which is the fourth-most out of any American city. The Dodgers just won the 2024 World Series, so LA’s winning doesn’t seem to be stopping soon.

#4 – Chicago, Illinois

Next on our list of top US sports cities is Chicago, Illinois, home to the Bears, Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks and Fire. They’ve tallied a combined 29 championships, putting them in the #3 spot all-time, and the Cubs are the most recent champions, thanks to their 2016 World Series run. Not only is Chicago known for its’ sports success, but it’s one of the best environments to watch sports.

From Wrigley Field to Soldier Field, it cannot be understated how fun it is to watch a sporting event in Chicago. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were the talk of the town throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, which catapulted Chicago into the international spotlight. When it comes to sports fans from the Windy City, there are very few more passionate cities.

#3 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a tricky state because it has two major cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, possessing extremely passionate sports fans. However, we landed on Philadelphia due to the number of sports teams the city offers, as Philly is home to the Eagles, 76ers, Phillies, Flyers and Union. The Eagles are the most recent champions, as they took down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

The celebrations that erupted after that Super Bowl win went viral, as Philadelphia officials grease its lamp posts before the game to dissuade fans from climbing on top of them. However, that didn’t stop Philly fans from doing so. Although they can be passionate to a point some would consider over the top, there are very few cities with fans more ecstatic about sports than Philadelphia.

#2 – New York City, New York

New York City is a hotspot for sports fans, and it possesses the most professional sports teams, with nine. The Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Red Bulls and NYCFC are all considered New York sports teams, as you can find fans for each of those teams throughout the five boroughs of NYC. The Yankees possess the most World Series in MLB history, and they are the most recent New York sports team with a championship, which came in 2009.

Not only is New York known for its sports teams, but it’s also known as the birthplace of sports talk radio. Hosted by Bill Mazer, New York’s WNBC (AM) was the first-ever sports talk radio show, launching in March 1964. It’s safe to say that they had no issues attracting sports callers, as you won’t find a New Yorker who isn’t passionate about sports. From Yankee Stadium to The Garden, New York City is the second-best city in the United States for living and breathing sports.

#1 – Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts, takes the cake for passionate sports fans, as they host five sports teams, the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins and Revolution. Fenway Park is the oldest stadium in the MLB (constructed in 1912), and the TD Garden is one of the best places to watch both basketball and hockey. Although Gillette Stadium is outside of Boston, it stands on its own as a great NFL stadium, as the Patriots collected six Super Bowl titles from 2001 to 2018.

Boston is our #1 US sports city because of the fandom and success it’s had over the years. From the four major sports leagues, Boson has 18 NBA Championships, 10 World Series, 6 Super Bowls and 6 Stanley Cups. Only New York has more titles (54), but 35 of those come from the Yankees, and they have more than twice as many teams to add to that total. If you’re a sports fan and have never been to Boston for a sporting event, we’d recommend it as our top choice.