DETROIT – A new study examining NFL stadiums, bars, prices, and other factors determined that Detroit is the best city in the United States for visiting fans.
The Detroit Lions appear to have their best team in decades, and they’re in first place in the NFC North after a 3-1 start. But the good news just keeps flowing.
Study methodology
BonusFinder.com compared NFL venues using nine different categories to determine which cities are best for NFL visitors.
Here were the nine factors:
- Iconic stadiums -- A combination of online reviews, the age of the stadium, and the number of hashtags posted on social media.
- Team prestige -- A combination of how long a team has existed, how many Super Bowls they’ve had, how many of their players have won MVP awards, and the number of players who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- The number of sports bars within five miles of the stadium.
- The number of bars within one mile of the stadium.
- The distance from the major city center to the stadium.
- The cost of one hot dog at the stadium.
- The cost of one beer at the stadium.
- Gambling opportunities -- the number of casinos within 15 miles of the stadium and whether online betting is allowed in the state.
- Whether there are other sports-related activities nearby, like NFL, MLB, and NBA arenas or museums.
Rankings
- Detroit Lions
- Chicago Bears
- New Orleans Saints
- Charlotte (Carolina Panthers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Baltimore Ravens
- Denver Broncos
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Indianapolis Colts
- Nashville (Tennessee Titans)
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
- Atlanta Falcons
- Dallas Cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Minneapolis (Minnesota Vikings)
- Seattle Seahawks
- New York Jets
- Phoenix (Arizona Cardinals)
- Boston (New England Patriots)
- Washington D.C. (Washington Commanders)
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Houston Texans
- Miami Dolphins
- Buffalo Bills
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Los Angeles (San Francisco 49ers)
- Los Angeles Rams
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Los Angeles Chargers
How Lions ranked
Detroit was ranked first in terms of the number of bars within walking distance. The study found there were 129 bars (wow, that seems like a lot) within a one-mile radius of the stadium.
Detroit was eighth in the number of sports bars within five miles -- 36.
The proximity to casinos and ability to gamble online also helped the Lions.
The study found beer prices at Ford Field tied for the lowest in the league (wait, really?).
Ford Field was fifth in the stadium ranking. Obviously, the Lions didn’t rank very well in terms of team prestige.
