Penguins Fans #1, Most Passionate Fanbase According to Forbes

Pittsburgh Penguins fans are the most passionate in the NHL, and the ninth most head-over-heels of all professional sports, according to ratings published by Forbes Magazine.

The ratings are available at forbes.com.

The Penguins were the only NHL team in the top ten.

“Our fans are the greatest,” said David Morehouse, president, and CEO of the Penguins. “We are so grateful for their support, and it’s never a surprise to us when they’re named the most passionate fans in the NHL. Because they are.”

The Green Bay Packers, which are technically owned by fans who purchase stock in the team are No. 1. Pittsburgh Steelers fans may want to sit down for the rest. The New England Patriots, with or without Tom Brady, are second overall.

The New Orleans Saints are third and the Steelers finished perhaps a disappointing fourth overall.

However, the big picture ratings tell the story of Pittsburgh as a fiercely loyal and engaged sports town. Only Pittsburgh and Boston had two teams in the Top 10. The Patriots and the Boston Red Sox dirty water finished 10th overall.

The Penguins beat out the Boston Red Sox. Think about that for a minute. The Pittsburgh Penguins also beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and the “Hockeytown” Detroit Red Wings. Of course, having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin help.

The Forbes Magazine methodology was a thorough study of social media, television, attendance, and even secondary ticket demand.

Per Forbes:

The Forbes best fans ranking looked at television ratings (per Nielsen), stadium attendance based on capacity reached, secondary ticket demand (per StubHub), merchandise sales (per Fanatics), social media reach (Facebook and Twitter followers based on the team’s metro population) and hometown crowd reach (defined by Nielsen as a percentage of the metropolitan area population that watched, attended and/or listened to a game in the last year) of the biggest sports leagues in North America