NBA vs NHL:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, NBA had more branded searches than NHL among sports leagues worldwide. NBA had about 7.5 million branded searches, while NHL had 5 million. NBA made up 3% of all sports league searches we track, and NHL accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sports leagues, both NBA and NHL appeared in all four answers. NBA was mentioned before NHL in every answer.
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Top sports leagues in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both NBA and NHL showed up in all four answers. NBA was listed before NHL in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
NFL4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
MLB4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
NBA4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
NHL4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Premier League2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
MLS2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
AFL0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about sports leagues
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sports league should I go to?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sports leagues?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best sports league for a team to follow?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sports leagues”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“football league table”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is NBA or NHL more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for NBA and NHL by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven sports leagues we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for NBA, NHL. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | NFL | Premier League | MLB | AFL | NBA | NHL | MLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.4% | 19.1% | 28.4% | 0.34% | 19.1% | 4.7% | 0.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.2% | 24.3% | 4.8% | 0.2% | 29.5% | 4.8% | 0.09% |
| Dec 2025 | 33.5% | 33.5% | 1.1% | 0.12% | 27.3% | 4.5% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 40% | 26.8% | 0.89% | 0.12% | 26.8% | 5.4% | 0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 7.8% | 47.3% | 1.9% | 0.47% | 38.9% | 3.5% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 3.2% | 36% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 43.7% | 7.2% | 0.06% |
| Apr 2026 | 1.5% | 29.7% | 13.4% | 2.2% | 44.3% | 8.9% | 0.04% |
| May 2026 | 0.92% | 27.8% | 10.2% | 2% | 50.7% | 8.3% | 0.05% |
| Jun 2026 | 2.4% | 3% | 22.3% | 3.7% | 60.5% | 8.1% | 0.04% |
| Jul 2026 | 4.8% | 8.8% | 53.3% | 10.7% | 19.5% | 2.6% | 0.29% |
| Aug 2026 | 17.3% | 38.6% | 31.6% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 0.85% | 0.17% |
| Sep 2026 | 40.2% | 33.1% | 18.1% | 3.6% | 3% | 2% | 0.08% |
How has the NBA and NHL comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- NBA was ahead of NHL in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NBA’s share of searches among sports leagues worldwide moved from 19.1% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 68M to 7.5M.
- 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.
How did search popularity change for sports leagues worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, NHL gained share of searches among sports leagues worldwide, from 0.85% to 2%.
In September 2026, NBA lost share of searches among sports leagues worldwide, from 5.2% to 3%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using NBA’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.
Other head-to-heads among sports leagues
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