The Jets might own the back page of New York’s tabloids, but as far as fandom goes the Giants are by far the city’s most popular team.
The Giants have almost double the amount of Facebook likes than the Jets, according to a recent study down by Facebook. The Harvard College Sports Analysis Collective (via Deadspin.com) broke down the findings, showing that the Giants have 1,951,500 “likes” on Facebook compared to 1,026,580 for the Jets. Only two districts in the country, both in Nassau County, have more Jets fans than any other team, according to Facebook “likes.” The other local counties – much of New York and some of New Jersey and Connecticut – belong firmly to the Giants.
The Giants are the sixth most popular NFL team on Facebook, following the Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots, Packers and Saints. The Jets are 14th, just after the Vikings and ahead of the Chargers.
Despite their rout in football, the Giants are not the most “liked” team in the area. The Yankees hold that spot down with 3,781,980. The Bronx Bombers are third among all pro sports teams in the United States, behind the Lakers and Celtics, respectively. The Cowboys are fourth overall with 3,754,280.
Winning, of course, helps these figures. The Giants have won two Super Bowls in the past five years, while the Yankees are one of the most successful teams in MLB over the last two decades. In the NFL rankings, every team that has won a Super Bowl in the last nine years has more than 1.5 million fans, the study shows.