--- title: "MLB vs NFL: Which is searched more?" description: "Is MLB or NFL more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Sports leagues set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/mlb-vs-nfl" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # MLB vs NFL: Which is searched more? Is MLB or NFL more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Sports leagues set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: MLB and NFL - **Competitive set**: Sports leagues - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **MLB Share of Search**: 18.1% - **NFL Share of Search**: 40.2% ## Is MLB or NFL more popular in search? - In September 2026, NFL had more branded searches than MLB among sports leagues worldwide. NFL had about 101 million branded searches, while MLB had 45.5 million. NFL made up 40.2% of all sports league searches we track, and MLB accounted for 18.1%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: MLB took it in March 2026, NFL took it in September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MLB’s share of searches among sports leagues worldwide moved from 28.4% to 18.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 101M to 45.5M. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NFL’s share of searches among sports leagues worldwide moved from 28.4% to 40.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 101M. ## Top sports leagues in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both MLB and NFL showed up in all four answers. NFL was listed before MLB in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | NBA | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | NFL | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | MLB | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | NHL | 4th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Premier League | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | MLS | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | AFL | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about sports leagues - Asked ChatGPT "Which sports league should I go to?": 1. NBA, 2. NFL, 3. NHL, 4. MLB, 5. MLS - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best sports leagues?": 1. Premier League, 2. NBA, 3. NFL, 4. NHL, 5. MLB - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best sports league for a team to follow?": 1. NFL, 2. NBA, 3. MLB, 4. NHL, 5. Premier League - Searched Google, AI Overview "sports leagues": 1. NFL, 2. NBA, 3. MLB, 4. NHL, 5. MLS Not named in any answer: AFL. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 19, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for sports leagues worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, NFL overtook Premier League and MLB to become the leader among sports leagues worldwide, with 40.2% of the searches. - In September 2026, MLB lost share of searches among sports leagues worldwide, from 31.6% to 18.1%. ## Month by month | Month | MLB estimated searches | MLB Share of Search | MLB rank | NFL estimated searches | NFL Share of Search | NFL rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 101M | 28.4% | 1 | 101M | 28.4% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | 16.6M | 4.8% | 4 | 124M | 36.2% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | 4.1M | 1.1% | 5 | 124M | 33.5% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | 3.4M | 0.89% | 5 | 151M | 40% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | 4.1M | 1.9% | 5 | 16.6M | 7.8% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | 16.6M | 7.2% | 3 | 7.5M | 3.2% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 45.5M | 13.4% | 3 | 5M | 1.5% | 6 | | May 2026 | 45.5M | 10.2% | 3 | 4.1M | 0.92% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | 37.2M | 22.3% | 2 | 4.1M | 2.4% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | 37.2M | 53.3% | 1 | 3.4M | 4.8% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 45.5M | 31.6% | 2 | 24.9M | 17.3% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | 45.5M | 18.1% | 3 | 101M | 40.2% | 1 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using MLB’s and NFL’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **MLB**: Measured on the search term “mlb”. - **NFL**: Measured on the search term “nfl”. - [MLB profile](/demand/global-en/brands/mlb) - [NFL profile](/demand/global-en/brands/nfl) - [All sports leagues worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/sports-leagues): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is MLB or NFL more popular in search? In September 2026, NFL had more branded searches than MLB among sports leagues worldwide. NFL had about 101 million branded searches, while MLB had 45.5 million. NFL made up 40.2% of all sports league searches we track, and MLB accounted for 18.1%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "MLB vs NFL: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/mlb-vs-nfl This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/mlb-vs-nfl. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.