Fandom 250: Here are the fandoms that won the Fan Vote
By Josh Hill
The Fandom 250 was released today, and fans were able to have a say in which fanbases ranked where.
Every year, FanSided’s editorial panel gets together in order to determine which of the fan bases in the world are the absolute best. This isn’t just a ranking of sports fandoms, it’s a dueling of all things that have a following. Whether it’s the New York Yankees or eSports, Star Wars or Shea Serrano — we wanted to find out the best fandoms in the world.
What’s a fandom ranking without the voice of the fans? While our editorial panel had the final say, we opened the floor for fans to ranks each individual category based on how they think it should stack up.
Next: Check out the full Fandom 250 ranking here
The fan vote was a new element to the Fandom 250 this year, and these were the fandoms that won each category.
Brands: Netflix
Netflix ranked very high in the actual rankings, clocking in at No. 6. Disney was the second best brand according to the fans, with Apple ranking fifth.
Celebrities: Emma Watson
The former Harry Potter star wasn’t the top-ranked celebrity in our editorial ranking, but the fans had something to say about that. She ranked above Leonardo DiCaprio and Scarlett Johansson and crushed The Kardashians — who came in last according to the fans.
College: Alabama
Is this that much of a surprise? Bama fans were in the Top 10 of the final Fandom 250 ranking, and fans turned out to vote them to the top spot of the Fan Vote. Oklahoma and Duke followed Alabama in the fan ranking with Notre Dame rounding out the Top 5.
Comics: Batman
Fans turned out to vote Batman as the best fandom, with Spider-Man coming in second. Props to Deadpool fans who helped make it the fifth-best fandom in comics.
Gaming: FIFA
Most people assume Madden or Call of Duty are the most popular games in the world, but FIFA fans said otherwise. It was a narrow victory over Call of Duty, but the soccer gaming franchise claimed the top spot in the category.
Internet Famous: Shea Serrano
This might have been the most lopsided “fam” vote victory we had. The FOH Army took a break from reading Basketball and Other Things for the tenth time to help Shea Serrano claim the top spot amongst internet celebrities.
MLB: Houston Astros
World Series champions and winners of the Fan Vote, the Houston Astros are having a heck of a year. Fans helped them beat out the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, which gives you an idea of how awesome that fandom is.
NFL: Green Bay Packers
When our editorial staff thought about NFL fandom, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the consesus pick as top choice. Fans, however, thought the Green Bay Packers were the best fandom and voted them to the top spot in the category. The New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs also outranked the Steelers thanks to the Fan Vote.
NBA: Memphis Grizzlies
Never doubt the power of a small market NBA fandom. Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago get national love but Memphis Grizzlies fans winning the top spot in this category. Further helping this theme, the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs, all finished in the Top 5 for fan voting.
NHL: Nashville Predators
Smashville was the center of the hockey world, and despite losing the Stanley Cup the pride of Preds fans helped them win the top spot in the hockey category. The Maple Leafs and Canadiens were beat out by Preds fans, which should give you an idea about how rabid this fanbase is.
Movies: Lord of the Rings
Star Wars and Star Trek ranked in the Top 20 according to our editorial staff, but the fans voted Lord of the Rings to the top of the list. Harry Potter and James Bond were also in the Top 5 with Wonder Woman making a big debut on the list.
Music: Carrie Underwood
The Beatles are credited with changing music forever, but Carrie Underwood fans turned out to help her earn the top spot in this category. The Beatles clocked in at No. 2, with Ke$ha fans voting her into the Top 5.
Soccer: FC Barcelona
Football rules Europe, and FC Barcelona fans are the proudest bunch on the continent. The USWNT came in at No. 2, proving just how passionate American soccer fans are about their national team. Liverpool and Arsenal were the first two representatives from the Premier League.
Sports Figures: Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is so huge that he represents an entire country. Irish fight fans flock to Las Vegas everytime he has a bout — and sometimes when he doesn’t. There’s no doubting the passion for him and fans voting him to the top spot in the sports figures category.
TV: Chicago Shows
Game of Thrones is the biggest show on television, but fans voted the Chicago Shows as the most popular. Whether it’s Chicago Med, Chicago PD, or Chicago Fire, fans helped the franchise beat out Stranger Things and The Walking Dead as well.
Other: UFC
NASCAR topped our editorial panel’s list of random fandoms but UFC fans voted a different result. The people spoke and UFC beat out LEGO and Kevin Smith fans to earn the top spot in the random fandom category.
Check out the rest of the Fandom 250 fan vote results here to see an alternate look at the rankings.