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SportsThursday, November 5

Birmingham ranks 6th in the country for college basketball fandom, Nielsen says

The Daily Birmingham teamFrom today’s edition · 1 min read · 2 sources

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If you've always called Birmingham a football town, Nielsen has a second opinion. The Magic City ranked 6th in the first Local College Basketball Fandom Index, a list of the 20 markets with the most avid fans of men's and women's programs. That's one spot from the top five.

Birmingham lands one spot outside the top five

Nielsen Scarborough's Local College Basketball Fandom Index, top 20 markets

6thof 20

Birmingham
Des Moines/Ames 3rd
Des Moines/Ames 3rd
1 Most avid fansLast in top 20 20

Sources: The Bama Buzz, insideradio.com

View as table
PlaceRank of 20
Des Moines/Ames3rd
Birmingham6th
  • Metrics: eight, including TV viewership, apparel and live attendance
  • Also in the top 20: Omaha, Knoxville, Kansas City, Syracuse, Columbus
  • Earlier Nielsen fandom reports: NFL, college football and NBA

Lexington and Louisville lead the list, with Des Moines/Ames third. Nielsen's report says smaller markets such as Birmingham and Knoxville tend to generate higher merchandise sales than media hubs such as Atlanta.

Five markets ahead of Birmingham are home to these teams

MarketTeams
Lexington, Ky.Kentucky Wildcats
Louisville, Ky.Louisville Cardinals
Des Moines/Ames, IowaIowa State, Iowa
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.Duke, UNC, NC State
IndianapolisButler, Indiana, Purdue

Source: insideradio.com

Sources: The Bama Buzz, insideradio.com

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