MLB Fan Dedication Index: Who’s Really Showing Up for Their Team in 2025?

Published 05.08.2025

Some fans wear their team colors. Others live by them.

In 2025, baseball fandom is a full-blown investment, including time, money, travel, and emotional labor. It’s all part of the deal when you pledge allegiance to a Major League Baseball team. And while the spotlight often lands on New York or L.A., our new survey of 1,500 fans reveals that the most dedicated fan bases aren’t always found in the biggest markets.

So, who’s putting their money where their mitt is?

  • The average MLB fan watches about 56 games each season, nearly a third of the full schedule.

  • Almost half of fans spend more than $1,000 annually to support their team.

  • Chicago Cubs fans are the most dedicated, watching 80 games a year and with an average annual spend of $2,376.

  • Toronto Blue Jays fans came close to the top spot, watching 78 games and spending $2,468 a year.

  • Pirates and Twins fans are also highly committed, each watching over 60 games and spending more than $1,300 every year to support their teams.

  • Braves fans watch only 48 games and spend about $1,000 a year, making them the least invested in their team.

  • About 44% of MLB fans travel to catch their team in away games.

Welcome to the MLB Fan Dedication Index, a ranking of the league’s most committed supporters based on viewing habits, spending power, and just how far they’ll go (literally) for their team.

MLB fan part 1MLB fan part 2

The Average MLB Fan

Let’s start with the baseline. Across the U.S. and Canada, the average MLB fan watches 55.9 games per season, which is nearly a third of the full 162-game schedule. Not bad for a pastime that's slowly drifted from the mainstream in recent years.

Then there are the superfans, who are those watching 100+ games a year. These are the fans that have effectively turned the MLB season into their second full-time job. In that group of superfans lies an even smaller group, which we like to call the ultra-investors. They’re dropping over $2,500 a year just to support their team. The investment includes everything from merch to tickets and subscriptions to travel. Basically, the works.

Here’s how fan spending breaks down league-wide:

  • Less than $100/year: 9.4%

  • $100 to $499/year: 19.4%

  • $500 to $999/year: 26.9%

  • $1,000 to $2,499/year: 24.3%

  • Over $2,500/year: 20.1%

In other words, nearly half of all MLB fans are spending over $1,000 a year. Baseball might be “the old ballgame,” but the money pouring in is anything but.

A Tale of Two Fanbases – United States and Canada

In the U.S., MLB fans average 55.1 games watched per year. Roughly 43% of them spend more than $1,000 annually, and engagement tends to cluster in the Midwest, with Cubs, Pirates, and Twins fans leading the charge. 

Meanwhile, East Coast strongholds like the Red Sox, Braves, and Phillies actually rank lower in terms of games watched.

Now, cross the border into Canada, and we find that Toronto Blue Jays fans are in a league of their own:

  • Games watched per year: 77.9

  • Spending over $1,000/year: 82%

  • Spending over $2,500/year: 74%

Let that sink in. Nearly three-quarters of Blue Jays fans qualify as “ultra-investors,” spending four times the league average to support their team.

Oddly enough, only 44% of Toronto fans actually live in the Greater Toronto Area. The rest are scattered across Canada, hopping provinces to show up at Rogers Centre, or catching every inning from the remote corners of British Columbia to Newfoundland.

In other words, Toronto’s fan base is national.

The Spending Spectrum

The data shows us that not all fans invest equally, either. Here’s how we’ve broken it down:

  • Budget Fans ($100–$499): These fans likely have a streaming subscription, follow the team online, or maybe buy a hat now and then.

  • Moderate Investors ($500–$999): They attend a game or two each year, own a few jerseys, and make the MLB part of their weekly routine.

  • Serious Supporters ($1,000–$2,499): Expect multiple games per season, team apparel, MLB.tv, and a collection of ticket stubs.

  • Ultra-Investors (Over $2,500): These are the lifers. Season ticket holders. Road trip planners. They bleed team colors. Their credit card statements prove it.

A closer look at the data shows us that Toronto leads the league in ultra-investors by a mile. Still, several U.S. teams over-index in the “serious” and “moderate” tiers, including the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers.

How Far Will Fans Go?

Interestingly enough, just because a fan lives in a certain city does not mean they pledge allegiance to that team. Many fans have love for teams outside their zip codes. 

  • 35% of fans live in the same city as their team

  • 19.2% live 200+ miles away

  • 44% travel to see their team on the road

That last stat might be the most surprising. Nearly half of MLB fans attend away games, with 26.6% traveling one to three times a year, 12.7% going four to six times, and 4.5% clocking seven or more trips each season.

And once again, Toronto fans go the distance. Literally. 

International travel is the norm. Many fly in from Vancouver, Calgary, or Halifax to make the pilgrimage to Rogers Centre, sometimes multiple times a season.

As it turns out, you don’t need to live near a team to live for that team.

Fandom Levels by Team

As we noted, our MLB Fan Dedication Index, which is a composite ranking of all 30 teams based on how often their fans watch games and how much they spend, is sorted into four buckets:

  • Ultra-Investors: High watch rates, high spending. Two of the biggest are Toronto and Chicago (Cubs).

  • Dedicated: Moderate to high across both metrics. This includes teams like the San Diego Padres, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Minnesota Twins.

  • Engaged: Some commitment in either time or money, but not both. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets live here. 

  • Casual: Low engagement across the board. Interestingly, no MLB team hit this mark in our data.

That’s worth pausing on. Even the so-called “less dedicated” fan bases are still showing serious love. There are no “casual” fan bases in baseball, just varying degrees of devotion.

More Than a Game

Fandom is more than what it used to be.

In 2025, serious fandom might entail spending thousands, cramming 80+ games into your calendar, and occasionally hopping a flight just to sit in the nosebleeds for three hours. It goes beyond entertainment. It’s identity.

And as our data shows, the most loyal fans aren’t always where you'd expect. Toronto goes all-in. And across the league, from Pittsburgh to Phoenix, fans are proving that baseball is still one of the deepest bonds in sports.

Whether you’re logging in from 2,000 miles away or yelling from the bleachers, one thing’s clear: MLB fans are built different.

Methodology

This report is based on a 2025 survey of 1,500 self-identified Major League Baseball fans. Each of the 30 teams was represented by 50 respondents. Questions covered annual spending (tickets, subscriptions, travel, merch), games watched, travel frequency, and proximity to home stadium. The MLB Fan Dedication Index ranks fan bases on combined financial and time investment.