Columbus, OH is the number one sports town in the U.S., Scarborough Sports Marketing, a joint partnership with Nielsen and Arbitron, reported Wednesday.
Two-thirds (66%) of adults in Columbus reported being “very” interested in at least one of the 29 sports measured by Scarborough, including the major leagues, motor sports, college sports, minor leagues, and the Olympics, among others.
Boston (64%), Buffalo (63%), and Pittsburgh (63%) rounded out the top sports markets.
Nationally, 56% of all adults are avid sports fans, according to Scarborough.
| Top 10 U.S. Sports Towns | % Avid Sports Fans |
|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | 66% |
| Boston, MA | 64% |
| Buffalo, NY | 63% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 63% |
| Green Bay/Appleton, WI | 62% |
| Providence/New Bedford, RI | 62% |
| Denver, CO | 62% |
| Rochester, NY | 62% |
| Louisville, KY | 62% |
| Cleveland/Akron, OH | 62% |
| San Antonio, TX | 62% |
| Birmingham, AL | 62% |
| Spokane, WA | 61% |
| Dayton, OH | 61% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 61% |
| Indianapolis, IN | 61% |
| Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY | 60% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 60% |
| Lexington, KY | 60% |
| Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI | 60% |
| Toledo, OH | 60% |
| Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO | 60% |
| Mobile/Pensacola, FL | 60% |
| Detroit, MI | 60% |
| Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | 59% |
| Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC | 59% |
| Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, VA | 59% |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul, MI | 59% |
| Washington, D.C. | 59% |
| St. Louis, MO | 59% |
| Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA | 59% |
| Des Moines/Ames, IA | 59% |
| Tampa/St.Petersburg, FL | 58% |
| Tulsa, OK | 58% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 58% |
| Charlotte, NC | 58% |
| Milwaukee, WI | 58% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 58% |
| Seattle/Tacoma, WA | 58% |
| Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM | 57% |
| Hartford/New Haven, CT | 57% |
| Chicago, IL | 57% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 57% |
| New Orleans, LA | 57% |
| Baltimore, MD | 57% |
| Knoxville, TN | 57% |
| Cincinnati, OH | 57% |
| Nashville, TN | 57% |
| Kansas City, MO | 57% |
| Richmond/Petersburg, VA | 57% |
| Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson, SC | 57% |
| NATIONAL AVERAGE | 56% |
| Source: Scarborough Sports Marketing (2008). | |
View the full press release.
