INDIANA – A new study has revealed the most popular NFL teams in the world, and it’s terrible news for the Indianapolis Colts, who have been named the least popular team.
The research from FlashPicks, a betting picks, parlays, predictions, and news brand, aims to find the NFL teams with the most support from fans worldwide.
To do so, they analyzed Google search volume data over the past four years in more than 100 of the world’s most populated countries. The NFL teams were then scored out of 10 based on the average monthly searches for each side in every country combined with the number of countries where the team was the most searched-for in the NFL.
The study revealed that the Indianapolis Colts are the most unpopular team in the NFL, with a score of 0.5 out of 10. The Colts were the least searched-for NFL team by some distance, with just 39,780 searches from countries outside the US. Searches for ‘Indianapolis Colts game’ and ‘Colts NFL jersey’ proved unpopular globally.
The AFC South outfit is also the least searched-for team in 54 countries, including Australia and most of Western Europe. Nations like the UK, France, Italy, and Spain have little interest in the Colts compared to the other 31 teams in the NFL.
The Houston Texans were found to be the second least popular team, with 54,230 searches every month, resulting in a score of 0.6 out of 10. The Texans are the least searched-for team in three countries and didn’t feature in the study’s top three most popular NFL teams in any country.
The Washington Commanders are the third least popular team in the NFL, receiving just 54,730 monthly searches globally—only 500 more than the Texans. The Commanders are also the least popular team in 23 different countries, including Brazil and Cameroon, resulting in a score of 0.6 out of 10.
The top 5 most unpopular NFL teams in the world
| Rank | Team | No. of countries where the team is least searched-for | Avg. Monthly Searches (Excluding USA) | Total Score /10 |
| 1 | Indianapolis Colts | 54 | 39,780 | 0.5 |
| 2 | Houston Texans | 3 | 54,230 | 0.6 |
| 3 | Washington Commanders | 23 | 54,730 | 0.6 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Chargers | 13 | 58,370 | 0.7 |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 69,360 | 0.8 |
In comparison, the most popular NFL team in the world was found to be the Buffalo Bills. The Bills were the most searched-for NFL team in a whopping 31 countries, giving them a perfect score of 9.9 out of 10.
Most Western Europe searches for the Bills more than any other side, including the likes of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Canada. The Bills also received an average monthly search volume of 427,830, the third highest of all NFL teams.
The Dallas Cowboys rank second with a score of 9.8 out of 10. With a whopping 440,410 searches, the Cowboys have the highest average monthly search volume in the world. They are also the most searched-for NFL team in 30 different countries, including China, India, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.
Just behind the Cowboys in third place is the Kansas City Chiefs, with a score of 9.1 out of 10. The reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions have the second-highest monthly number of online searches, at 433,490. The Chiefs were also the most searched-for NFL team in 26 countries, including South America and Germany.
Callum Broxton, Head of Operations at FlashPicks commented on the research: “The popularity of the NFL continues to grow around the world, with games being played in many new countries over the past decade.
“Our study shows how some NFL teams are leading the way when it comes to attracting fans worldwide, whereas others such as the Indianapolis Colts have work to do to improve their global brand and attract fans around the world or risk losing out.”
Below is a table of extended results in order of most popular:
| Rank | Team | No. of countries where the team is most searched | Avg. Monthly Searches (Excluding USA) | Total Score /10 |
| 1 | Buffalo Bills | 31 | 427,830 | 9.9 |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 30 | 440,410 | 9.8 |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 26 | 433,490 | 9.1 |
| 4 | Miami Dolphins | 4 | 293,540 | 5.1 |
| 5 | New England Patriots | 4 | 239,750 | 4.5 |
| 6 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | 284,190 | 3.7 |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 248,330 | 3.7 |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns | 4 | 149,960 | 3.5 |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | 0 | 211,400 | 2.4 |
| 10 | Chicago Bears | 1 | 166,340 | 2.4 |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | 0 | 199,720 | 2.3 |
| 12 | Denver Broncos | 1 | 161,670 | 2.3 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | 156,080 | 2.3 |
| 14 | San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 170,660 | 1.9 |
| 15 | Seattle Seahawks | 0 | 169,920 | 1.9 |
| 16 | Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 156,420 | 1.8 |
| 17 | Los Angeles Rams | 0 | 142,180 | 1.6 |
| 18 | Baltimore Ravens | 0 | 131,600 | 1.5 |
| 19 | New York Jets | 0 | 130,960 | 1.5 |
| 20 | Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 89,950 | 1.5 |
| 21 | Las Vegas Raiders | 0 | 117,470 | 1.3 |
| 22 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 | 61,630 | 1.2 |
| 23 | Cincinnati Bengals | 0 | 94,160 | 1.1 |
| 24 | New York Giants | 0 |
About FlashPicks: https://flashpicks.com/nfl/parlays
FlashPicks provides the latest news, previews, sports betting picks, and sportsbook offers to its betting community, along with reliable expert information. With over 55,000 followers on Instagram and 60,000 followers on X, it’s also home to the revolutionary tool Smart Picks. It takes the latest statistics and data to formulate a win percentage, meaning followers can make a more informed decision on sports bets.
Methodology:
Online search data was taken from Google Ads Keyword Planner from more than 100 of the world’s most populated countries, excluding the USA. The overall monthly search volume from every country included in the study was scored out of 5, and the number of countries where each team came out on top was also scored out of 5. Data was taken from July 2020 to June 2024 to calculate the average monthly search volume.
