--- title: "MLB vs NHL: Which is searched more?" description: "Is MLB or NHL 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-nhl" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # MLB vs NHL: Which is searched more? Is MLB or NHL 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 NHL - **Competitive set**: Sports leagues - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **MLB Share of Search**: 18.1% - **NHL Share of Search**: 2% ## Is MLB or NHL more popular in search? - In September 2026, MLB had more branded searches than NHL among sports leagues worldwide. MLB had about 45.5 million branded searches, while NHL had 5 million. MLB made up 18.1% of all sports league searches we track, and NHL accounted for 2%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: NHL took it in December 2025, MLB took it in April 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, NHL’s share of searches among sports leagues worldwide moved from 4.7% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.6M to 5M. ## Top sports leagues in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both MLB and NHL showed up in all four answers. MLB and NHL were each listed first in two of the four answers. 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, NHL gained share of searches among sports leagues worldwide, from 0.85% to 2%. - 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 | NHL estimated searches | NHL Share of Search | NHL rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 101M | 28.4% | 1 | 16.6M | 4.7% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | 16.6M | 4.8% | 4 | 16.6M | 4.8% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 4.1M | 1.1% | 5 | 16.6M | 4.5% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 3.4M | 0.89% | 5 | 20.4M | 5.4% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 4.1M | 1.9% | 5 | 7.5M | 3.5% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 16.6M | 7.2% | 3 | 16.6M | 7.2% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | 45.5M | 13.4% | 3 | 30.4M | 8.9% | 4 | | May 2026 | 45.5M | 10.2% | 3 | 37.2M | 8.3% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | 37.2M | 22.3% | 2 | 13.6M | 8.1% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 37.2M | 53.3% | 1 | 1.8M | 2.6% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | 45.5M | 31.6% | 2 | 1.2M | 0.85% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | 45.5M | 18.1% | 3 | 5M | 2% | 6 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using MLB’s and NHL’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”. - **NHL**: Measured on the search term “nhl”. - [MLB profile](/demand/global-en/brands/mlb) - [NHL profile](/demand/global-en/brands/nhl) - [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 NHL more popular in search? In September 2026, MLB had more branded searches than NHL among sports leagues worldwide. MLB had about 45.5 million branded searches, while NHL had 5 million. MLB made up 18.1% of all sports league searches we track, and NHL accounted for 2%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "MLB vs NHL: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/mlb-vs-nhl This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/mlb-vs-nhl. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.