NFL is the highest level of professional American football. Famous not just in the US or North America, it's a sport that the whole world watches and follows closely. Canadians also love analyzing their neighbor's teams. But which teams are the most well-known in Canada?
In this article, we're going to find out about exactly that. You might be interested in knowing about the best football teams in Canada for personal knowledge or for another purpose entirely. We're going to help you most reliably with hard facts.
Biggest NFL Teams in Canada
Several NFL teams are considered to be among the biggest in Canada. The fan bases typically vary based on team success and historical significance, but some teams that have a large fan base in Canada include:- Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are often dubbed "America's team." Their massive fan following crosses the borders of not only Texas but the entire United States. Their rich history and excellent performance have many appreciators in Canada.
- Seattle Seahawks: It would surprise you to learn just how many 12th Man fans Canada has! From the flag-raising tradition to the iconic playstyle, many Canadians love the team a lot and celebrate every win and mourn every loss.
- New York Giants: The Giants are very big—They're based in one of the largest media markets, after all. Their large fanbase in the NY metropolitan area is truly remarkable. But the team has a solemn and loyal fan following in many a Canadian soul.
- Detroit Lions: As one of the oldest franchises in the NFL, the Lions have quite a stellar fan following in Canada. The significant challenges that the team has faced and the amazing success the team has accumulated, almost consistently, are a testament to their excellent performance.
- New England Patriots: The Patriots' Super Bowl triumphs haven't been forgotten in the north either! Add to that the love for the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era and you have the perfect recipe for a popular team in Canada.
- San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have a strong fan following in the Bay Area but it goes beyond that. Their multiple Super Bowl victories and consistent success has won over the hearts of Canadians, resulting in a very dedicated fan following that loves every bit of 49er action in the NFL.
Which is the Best Team?
The teams we mentioned in the previous section are certainly a few of the favorites of Canadian football lovers. Many even have larger fan followings than CFL teams.But which is the best team? Well, that's hard to figure out precisely.
Now, we have a hack. It's often a reliable sign to look at the teams with the best sportsbook odds to determine popularity. Reputable sports betting sites like Bodog have historical data and they know the best in this regard.
As per their analysis of the best NFL teams with the largest Canadian following, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions offer the best odds in Canada—And we strongly believe that they are a couple of the biggest teams with the largest loyal fan following in Canada.
What's more, in a first, the Seahawks showed interest in playing in Canada a couple of years ago.
Overall, these teams outperform others in terms of popularity in Canada. Though there have been many legendary players throughout history such as quarterbacks Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning, as well as iconic figures like Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, and Lawrence Taylor—Canadians mainly love players who perform more consistently.
Incidentally, teams with a higher number of such players often become more popular in Canada.
NFL attracts millions of viewers internationally, breaking records yet again. It's a significantly popular sport and goes well beyond the US. In terms of media coverage—Mainly TV broadcasting, fantasy football leagues, and interest in digital platforms—Canada is not as vocal in favoring an iconic team as it is in favoring the best-performing one.
And that's the reason finding the most popular team with the largest fan following in Canada isn't going to be accurate regardless of how many variables you take into account.
In Conclusion
There are tons of amazing NFL players that have a Canadian birthplace.These include Eli Ankou, Antony Auclair, Tevaughn Campbell, Chase Claypool, Christian Covington, Drew Desjarlais, Neville Gallimore, N'Keal Harry, Michael Hoecht, Jevon Holland, Chuba Hubbard, Alaric Jackson, Nikola Kalinic, Jonathan Kongbo, Deane Leonard, Jesse Luketa, John Metchie, Carter O'Donnell, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Josh Palmer, Tavius Robinson, Nathan Shepherd, Dakoda Shepley, Benjamin St-Juste, Brent Urban, and Luiji Vilain.
But that's not the only reason why the league is so popular in Canada. In fact, a lot of Canadians love QB Tom Brady more than their national treasures (who, by the way, recently announced his plans to retire "for good").
In fact, Canada's love for American football knows no bounds. From celebrating every win of their favorite NFL team to being invested emotionally in certain players' lives—Canadians take the sport seriously (sometimes a little too seriously).
