As we count down to 2019, Ticket Club is reviewing the past year in the entertainment industry. Follow along with our series as we explore the best of 2018’s live events, determined by internal sales data.
When a particular city has two, three or even four professional sports teams, it may be hard for fans to keep track of. But which teams came out on top when it comes to the country’s major sports cities? Ticket Club data found that 2018 was a home-run for several MLB teams in competitive markets.
We examined sales data across cities which have two or more teams within sports’ four core leagues – NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB – to see which team fared best in that city. Of the 30 qualified cities, MLB teams were found to be the best-selling pro sports team in 12 of them, the most of any other league.
Major League teams like the Reds, Mariners, Cardinals and Astros outperformed their local teams in overall ticket sales. Even areas with more than four squads saw a staggering amount of sales for their MLB teams. The Dodgers’ run to the World Series put them as the best-selling team in Los Angeles over the Angels, the NHL’s Kings, NBA’s Clippers and Lakers and NFL’s Rams and Chargers. Chicago similarly came out in droves to support the Cubs this year to make them the Windy City’s top-selling team over the White Sox, Bulls, Bears and Blackhawks.
New York broke this trend as neither the Mets or Yankees could hold a candle to the NBA’s Knicks, who also edged the struggling Jets and Giants plus Rangers. The Knicks were one of only three NBA squads to be named the city’s best, joining the Miami Heat and reigning league champs Golden State Warriors. The Warriors joined each of the other reigning champions of each league – Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Capitals – as the best-seller in their city.
While MLB and championship-winning teams reigned supreme in several major sports cities, the NFL also represented a large chunk of the markets. Notable teams who dominated their market include the Cowboys, Vikings, Chiefs, Steelers and Lions.
See the full breakdown of all U.S. major sports cities and their best-selling pro teams (highlighted) below.
Best-Selling Pro Team in Major Sports Cities
Want to see more posts like this? Check out the rest of our Year in Review series here.