Is America’s Team actually America’s Team?
The Dallas Cowboys may have the nickname, but the New York Yankees also have a strong claim to it.
In fact, a CivicScience/SBJ Sports Consumer Insights poll found that 20% of respondents selected the Yankees as America’s Team, with the Cowboys finishing just behind the Bombers at 19%. The Pittsburgh Steelers were third at 14%.
In 2026, being America’s Team means combining championships, larger-than-life stars, national reach, cultural relevance, merchandise power and the ability to consistently draw audiences for media partners.
If anything, the poll suggests cultural relevance outlasts championships. The Yankees, Cowboys and Steelers finished atop the rankings despite title droughts that stretch to 2009, 1996 and 2009, respectively.
The Yankees have won a Major League Baseball-record 27 World Series titles, bolstered by the mystique of superstars from Babe Ruth to Aaron Judge and their signature cap, with the interlocking NY being worn by fans around the world.
Yankees President Randy Levine listed a variety of factors for why the Yankees came in at No. 1, including a brand with worldwide recognition, annually fielding a competitive roster, the quality of their players and the team’s work in the community via the New York Yankees Foundation and HOPE Week.
“The Yankee brand continues to be about tradition, excellence, winning and is represented by great players who embody that,” Levine told SBJ.
On June 20, hours before first pitch, lines snaked around Yankee Stadium as fans eagerly waited to scan their tickets and receive a coveted bobblehead featuring Judge, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player and the latest larger-than-life figure to play for the iconic franchise.
“It’s very gratifying,” Levine said. “Our fans are the best in the world.”
The Cowboys, led by headline-grabbing owner and sports business pioneer Jerry Jones, have five Super Bowl titles. Despite their championship drought, the Cowboys remain one of the most-discussed and commercially powerful brands in sports.
As of December 2025, Forbes valued the Cowboys at No. 1 ($13 billion) on its list of the most valuable sports teams, with the Yankees tied for 10th ($8.2 billion).
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New England Patriots, each at 8%, rounded out the top-five rankings for America’s Team. Nos. 6-10 included the Chicago Cubs (7%), Green Bay Packers (7%), Boston Red Sox (6%), Chicago Bulls (6%) and New York Mets (5%).
It speaks to Michael Jordan’s enduring influence that the Bulls have not won a championship since 1998 yet remain the only NBA franchise to crack the top 10, ahead of brands such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, who ended a 53-year title drought after the survey was conducted.
In that sense, the Bulls may be proof that some brands never really leave the national sports conversation.
