Jan. 29, 2026, 7:00 p.m. ET
After Pro Football Reference revealed that Detroit ranked No. 27 in the NFL in 2025-26 regular-season home attendance among the 32 franchises, Lions fans are noting that the league left out a critical metric that would make Detroit’s figures much more respectable.
According to the rankings released on Jan. 28, the Lions‘ attendance for their eight home games this past season totaled 516,719. That number places Detroit ahead of only Washington (514,362), Tampa Bay (509,124), Arizona (508,197), Philadelphia (489,153), and Chicago (465,014).
While those metrics are valid when measuring by the sheer total number of fans, the Lions’ (and many others’) attendance figures would be far more commendable if the league considered how each franchise’s home stadium capacity impacts those numbers.
Ford Field’s standard capacity for NFL regular-season games is 65,000, making it the 28th-largest of the league’s 30 active stadiums. Therefore, the Lions’ average home-game attendance (roughly 64,590) is just below a sellout when compared to Ford Field’s capacity.
Compared to other teams in the NFL, the Lions’ attendance percentage of maximum capacity was 99.37%, which would have ranked 13th in the league.
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