A Nielsen Scarborough study ranking the top DMAs based on the most avid sports fans puts Kansas City — home to the NFL’s Chiefs, Major League Baseball’s Royals, Big 12 college football’s University of Kansas Jayhawks, and more — at the top.
“Kansas City has become the epicenter of modern sports fandom,” a report from Audacy says. “Between the dominance of the Chiefs and a fanbase that shows up year-round, this is a city where the energy never really turns off.”
Nielsen Scarborough’s list of the top 10 most sports-obsessed markets — based on the number of survey participants in each market saying they are “very interested in any sport” — also includes Buffalo, Atlanta; Austin, Des Moines, IA, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Columbus, OH and Denver.
According to Nielsen’s January 2026 rankings based on persons 6+ share, sports-formatted radio stations finish at the top or in the top five in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus and Denver, with top 10-ranked sports stations in Atlanta and Des Moines.
Audacy’s report notes that the company itself has a presence in eight of these 10 markets. It’s also notable that Audacy claimed six of Inside Radio’s top 10 PM drive shows on sports stations, based on Nielsen cume.
The report cites a 2025 Vision Insights study showing that 60% of avid sports fans connect brands to some of their most memorable sports moments, and are 2.5 times more likely to support brands that support their team. That research also shows that audio boasts a 41% higher avid fan base vs. other platforms, with share of avid fans tuned to sports radio and sports podcasts significantly higher than average across every major sport.
“Avidity measures how much fans care, and how closely they’re paying attention, and that emotional investment is what drives real action,” Audacy’s report says. “If you’re trying to win in sports marketing, it’s not about reaching the most people. It’s about reaching the right ones. And in the cities where fandom runs hottest, that opportunity is even bigger.”