United States cities with teams from four major league sports

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There are 12 United States cities (along with their corresponding metropolitan areas) with teams competing in each of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada: Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League. These four leagues are sometimes referred to as the "Big Four", [1] in reference to their prominent position in North American sports.

Contents

Only the country's two largest metropolitan areas—New York and Los Angeles—have at least two teams in each major sports league.

Overview by metro area

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New York City
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Los Angeles
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Chicago
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Philadelphia
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Dallas/Fort Worth
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San Francisco Bay Area
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Washington D.C.
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Boston
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Minneapolis-Saint Paul
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Detroit
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Denver
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Miami
Cities/media markets with teams in the four major league sports

Italicized teams play outside the city limits of the metropolitan area's core city or cities; the specific location is given in parentheses. The core city or cities of a metropolitan area are identified in this reference. [2]

Metropolitan areaState(s) and/or districtsMedia market ranking [2] Four leagues sinceMLB team(s)NBA team(s)NFL team(s)NHL team(s)Total teams
Greater Boston Massachusetts 101960 Boston Red Sox Boston Celtics New England Patriots
(Foxborough, Massachusetts)
Boston Bruins 4
Chicago metropolitan area Illinois 31966 Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Chicago Bulls Chicago Bears Chicago Blackhawks 5
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Texas 51993 Texas Rangers
(Arlington, Texas)
Dallas Mavericks Dallas Cowboys
(Arlington, Texas)
Dallas Stars 4
Denver metropolitan area Colorado 161995 Colorado Rockies Denver Nuggets Denver Broncos Colorado Avalanche 4
Metro Detroit Michigan 151957 Detroit Tigers Detroit Pistons Detroit Lions Detroit Red Wings 4
Greater Los Angeles California 22016 Los Angeles Angels
(Anaheim, California)

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Clippers
(Inglewood, California)
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Chargers
(Inglewood, California)

Los Angeles Rams
(Inglewood, California)

Anaheim Ducks
(Anaheim, California)
Los Angeles Kings
8
Miami metropolitan area Florida 181993 Miami Marlins Miami Heat Miami Dolphins
(Miami Gardens, Florida)
Florida Panthers
(Sunrise, Florida)
4
Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minnesota 142000 Minnesota Twins
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Minnesota Timberwolves
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Minnesota Vikings
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Minnesota Wild
(Saint Paul, Minnesota)
4
New York metropolitan area New Jersey,
New York
11946 New York Mets
New York Yankees
Brooklyn Nets
New York Knicks
New York Giants
(East Rutherford, New Jersey)
New York Jets
(East Rutherford, New Jersey)
New Jersey Devils
(Newark, New Jersey)
New York Islanders
(Elmont, New York)
New York Rangers
9
Philadelphia metropolitan area Pennsylvania 41967 Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Flyers 4
San Francisco Bay Area California 81991 San Francisco Giants Golden State Warriors San Francisco 49ers
(Santa Clara, California)
San Jose Sharks
(San Jose, California)
4
Washington metropolitan area Maryland,
Washington D.C.
72005 Washington Nationals Washington Wizards Washington Commanders
(Landover, Maryland)
Washington Capitals 4

    Cities formerly with teams in all four leagues

    Atlanta, Cleveland, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Phoenix formerly hosted teams in all four major sports leagues simultaneously. Kansas City and St. Louis currently have two teams each, while the other cities have three.

    Only two cities have played each other in the championship series of all four major North American sports leagues: St. Louis and Boston. [3] In baseball, the Cardinals met the Red Sox in the 1946, 1967, 2004, and 2013 World Series. In hockey, the Blues played the Bruins in the 1970 and 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. In basketball, the Hawks and Celtics met in the 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1961 NBA Finals. And in football, the Rams played the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. (Note that because each major sports league's final generally has the champion from one conference against the champion from another conference, and conferences are often aligned based on geography, it is often not possible for teams from cities in the same region of the country to play each other in the final.)

    Cities that have lost, then regained four-sport status are Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis–St. Paul, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Per the above, Atlanta has also lost and regained four-sport status, but lost it again and does not currently have it.

    If the American Basketball Association (1967–1976) were considered a major professional sports league, three more cities would be former four-sport metropolises. Pittsburgh—home to the MLB Pirates, the NFL Steelers, and the NHL Penguins—also hosted the ABA's Pittsburgh Condors, originally called the Pipers, in 1967 and from 1969 until the team's demise in 1972. St. Louis would have regained four-sport status between 1974 and 1976, when the city was home to the Spirits of St. Louis. And Minneapolis–St. Paul would have been a four-sport city from 1967 to 1969, having hosted the ABA's Minnesota Muskies in 1967–68 and the Minnesota Pipers in 1968–69.

    If the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) were considered a major league, Houston would have made the list; the Houston Aeros operated from 1972 to 1978, but were left out of the NHL-WHA merger negotiations and folded before the merger. Under the same assumption, Cleveland would have joined the four-sports club in 1972 with the arrival of the WHA Cleveland Crusaders, which were displaced in 1976 by the NHL's Barons.

    If the ABA and WHA were both considered major leagues, then San Diego would have made the list from fall 1974 through fall 1975. Alongside the MLB Padres (since 1969) and the AFL/NFL Chargers (1961 to 2016), there were the ABA Conquistadors/Sails (1972–1975) and the WHA Mariners (1974–1977).

    Fifth major league: Major League Soccer

    Major League Soccer in the United States was founded in 1993, and has been active since 1996. Of the 12 metro areas with all Big Four teams, only Detroit lacks an MLS team.

    Media/television market rankings are based on the official government designation from the Code of Federal Regulations. [5]

    Italicized teams play outside the city limits of the metropolitan area's core city or cities; the specific location is given in parentheses.

    Metropolitan areaMedia market rankingSinceMLB team(s)MLS team(s)NBA team(s)NFL team(s)NHL team(s)
    Greater Boston, Massachusetts 91996 Boston Red Sox New England Revolution
    (Foxborough, Massachusetts)
    Boston Celtics New England Patriots
    (Foxborough, Massachusetts)
    Boston Bruins
    Chicago metropolitan area, Illinois 31998 Chicago Cubs

    Chicago White Sox

    Chicago Fire Chicago Bulls Chicago Bears Chicago Blackhawks
    Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Texas 51996 Texas Rangers
    (Arlington, Texas)
    FC Dallas
    (Frisco, Texas)
    Dallas Mavericks Dallas Cowboys
    (Arlington, Texas)
    Dallas Stars
    Denver metropolitan area, Colorado 171996 Colorado Rockies Colorado Rapids
    (Commerce City, Colorado)
    Denver Nuggets Denver Broncos Colorado Avalanche
    Los Angeles metropolitan area, California 22016 Los Angeles Angels
    (Anaheim, California)
    Los Angeles Dodgers
    LA Galaxy
    (Carson, California)
    Los Angeles FC
    Los Angeles Clippers
    (Inglewood, California)
    Los Angeles Lakers
    Los Angeles Chargers
    (Inglewood, California)
    Los Angeles Rams
    (Inglewood, California)
    Anaheim Ducks
    (Anaheim, California)
    Los Angeles Kings
    Miami metropolitan area, Florida 162020 Miami Marlins Inter Miami CF
    (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
    Miami Heat Miami Dolphins
    (Miami Gardens, Florida)
    Florida Panthers
    (Sunrise, Florida)
    Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota 152017 Minnesota Twins
    (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
    Minnesota United FC
    (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
    Minnesota Timberwolves
    (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
    Minnesota Vikings
    (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
    Minnesota Wild
    (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
    New York metropolitan area 11996 New York Mets
    New York Yankees
    New York City FC
    New York Red Bulls
    (Harrison, New Jersey)
    Brooklyn Nets
    New York Knicks
    New York Giants
    (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
    New York Jets
    (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
    New Jersey Devils
    (Newark, New Jersey)
    New York Islanders
    (Elmont, New York)
    New York Rangers
    Philadelphia metropolitan area 42010 Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Union
    (Chester, Pennsylvania)
    Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Flyers
    San Francisco Bay Area, California 82008 Oakland Athletics
    (Oakland, California)
    San Francisco Giants
    (San Francisco, California)
    San Jose Earthquakes
    (San Jose, California)
    Golden State Warriors
    (San Francisco, California)
    San Francisco 49ers
    (Santa Clara, California)
    San Jose Sharks
    (San Jose, California)
    Washington metropolitan area 62005 Washington Nationals D.C. United Washington Wizards Washington Commanders
    (Landover, Maryland)
    Washington Capitals

    Miami and the San Francisco Bay Area have lost and regained five-sport status. The former lost it in 2002 when the Miami Fusion folded, and the latter in 2006 when the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston to become the Dynamo. The Bay Area resumed being a five-sport city in 2008 when the Earthquakes were reactivated, Miami in 2020 with the arrival of Inter Miami CF.

    Of cities that formerly held four-sport status, only Atlanta, Kansas City, and St. Louis have current MLS franchises. If the WHA is counted, Houston is also included in the figure. San Diego will be included as well in 2025 if both the ABA and the WHA are counted.

    No Ohio city can claim five-sport (or four-sport) status, but the state itself can via Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus sports teams with the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati.

    The debut of MLS's Toronto FC in 2007 gave Toronto five major professional sports teams, although its football team plays in the Canadian Football League.

    See also

    Notes and references

    1. production (2023-12-07). "How the Big 4 Sports Leagues are Growing Internationally". STN Digital. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
    2. 1 2 AdeptPlus. "Nielsen DMA 2021 Rankings". MediaTracks Communications. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
    3. "A History of Boston vs. St. Louis Championship Meetings". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
    4. Kroichick, Ron (November 16, 2023). "Oakland Pro Sports Dead At 63 as A's Abandon East Bay, Ending Era of Titles and Fun". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
    5. "47 CFR 76.51 -- Major television markets". www.ecfr.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-03.