Available in the current issue of ESPN The Magazine (on newsstands Wednesday) and on ESPN.com, the four-month project is the only comprehensive ranking of all 121 major North American professional sports franchises. It aims to quantify the unique relationship between fans and their favorite teams by determining which MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises establish and maintain the most overall reward for their fans.
“Our organization has always felt that we have the best fans in sports, and it has always been important to us that the Spurs, as a franchise, deliver the very best for them,” said Spurs’ executive vice president/finance and corporate development Rick Pych. “The results in the Ultimate Standings confirm that we are succeeding in that.”
Added Russ Bookbinder, executive vice president/business operations, “When research like this, conducted by a respected voice in sports, determines that the Spurs are the top franchise in pro sports – that is truly an honor. It’s a testament to the Spurs’ players, coaches, owners, staff and, especially, the San Antonio community.”
Driven by exclusive research and fan feedback, the Ultimate Standings debuted last year with the Green Bay Packers as the top franchise (ranked third this year). Results are determined using analysis of team financial data by ESPN The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, combined with fan feedback data gathered by the Norwalk, Conn.-based research and marketing firm Markitecture and ESPN.com. To generate the Ultimate Standings, ESPN The Magazine and the independent marketers score each franchise according to criteria in eight categories. The combined scores in those eight categories resulted in an overall ranking (as well as separate rankings in each individual category).