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Atlanta United
In just its second season in MLS, the club won the league championship and set records for average attendance (55,730) and highest single-game attendance (73,019, at its MLS Cup victory over Portland). The team’s popularity and success helped lift the brand of the entire league.
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Golden State Warriors
The reigning NBA champions continued to line up lucrative deals around their future $1.5 billion Chase Center home and became the first professional sports team to sign a deal with Google Cloud. The team also led the NBA in merchandise sales and social media interactions.
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Milwaukee Brewers
Despite playing in the smallest market in MLB, the Brewers played 18 games last year with an attendance over 40,000 on their way to a 3 percent attendance jump compared to 2017. The team’s strong season included the NL Central title, a trip to Game 7 of the NLCS, and big bumps in ratings, merchandise and sponsorships.
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Milwaukee Bucks
The opening of the impressive Fiserv Forum and the emergence of leading 2019 NBA MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks drive new business in 2018. Enthusiasm around the team led to record ratings and merchandise sales, and the fourth-highest attendance increase in the league.
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Portland Thorns
The NWSL runners-up have set new standards in attendance for a women’s sports team, averaging over 16,000 fans per game for the past three seasons. The Thorns also led the league in revenue, merchandise sales and marketing reach.
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Washington Capitals
On top of winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, the Capitals continued to grow their reach in the D.C. area with a 433-game sellout streak and more than $2.5 million raised for charity through the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation.
