The Carolina Panthers had a breakout year both on the field and on Twitter, according to a recent report from Union Metrics.
The report was based on analysis of the Twitter followings of all 32 NFL teams throughout the football season, as well as the volume of tweets about each organization.
The Panthers gained the most fans on Twitter as a percentage over the course of the season, with the team's following growing from fewer than 500,000 users in October 2015 to more than 1.2 million in January 2016 (+144%).
The Arizona Cardinals were second, growing from fewer than 200,000 followers in October to 420,000 in January (+112%).
The five most followed teams on Twitter at the beginning of the NFL season were the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers.
The five most followed teams on Twitter at the end of the NFL season were the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Carolina Panthers.
The team most talked about on Twitter (i.e., with the highest volume of tweets) through the full season was the New England Patriots; the Carolina Panthers were second.
The team with the most tweet volume during the postseason (through the end of January) was the Carolina Panthers; the New England Patriots were second.
About the research: The report was based on analysis of the Twitter followings of all 32 NFL teams throughout the football season, as well as the volume of tweets about each organization.
