What's the secret to the Cowboys' lasting popularity?

[Blake]

Historic, legendary players, coaches, and success

Saying that is akin to discussing life before color television with today's youth. They don't care.

 

[Rogerthat12]

As we are all richly aware, the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl in 25 years. They haven't even advanced beyond the divisional playoffs since then. They haven't won a road playoff game in 27 years. There is an entire generation of Cowboys fans that now shares more in common with Bengals or Lions fans than with their own Cowboys elders.

And yet the Cowboys are consistently among the world's richest teams, usually are the NFL's most-watched team, command the highest-ratings, draw the most revenue, sell out all the time.

Is it really just the momentum of those 5 Lombardis? Granted, the Cowboys were already dubbed America's Team in the 1970s, so it's more than that.

Several factors, IMHO:

• The Cowboys have one of the best uniforms in the league, aesthetically speaking.
• The Cowboys are always scheduled in on Thanksgiving, so there's always at least one nationally-televised game.
• At a certain point, momentum begets itself. The Cowboys are popular, so they get high TV ratings and the best nationally-televised slots, which then in turn continues their popularity, and then ensures that they get great primetime games, etc. etc.
• The Cowboys used to host their summer training camp in California, so that ensures a big following in the nation's most populous state.
• Jerry is a terrible GM, but still great owner-wise in terms of getting publicity and marketing things.
• There has only been one season in the past ten years in which the Cowboys were truly bad - the 2015 season. In every other season from 2011-2019, the Cowboys either made the playoffs, or fell short on the very doorstep of the playoffs. That ensured compelling relevancy, and TV-viewership, throughout the season.
• The Cowboys have the biggest and best stadium in the league.
• The Cowboys' cheerleaders are better known than most other NFL cheerleaders.

Their Past...

 

[TwentyOne]

Cowboys aren't that popular. Its just J.J. selling us that stuff and people only reading Cowboys stuff.

Watch other games, read other news and they will tell you all the same about their or other teams.

Dallas Cowboys are Forbes No. 1 when it comes to franchise value. That doesn't mean they are the most popular or even a popular team. Don't confuse popularity with market value.

 

[Hawkeye19]

Saying that is akin to discussing life before color television with today's youth. They don't care.

Too right

 

[cowboy_ron]

The Patriots have tried for 2 decades to dethrone "America's Team" and haven't been able to.

 

[Alexander]

Agree with OP, but I think we're losing popularity. I live in a place without a team, so there's no hometown loyality to any team. Cowboys are not on the radar for younger generations. This is worrying.

Not to me. Perhaps a little more rapid fading of the brand will bring about sustained change. What looks to be change now took a generation.

 

[CouchCoach]

That's a good list of reasons why but from my experience all of these years and being around so many Cowboys fans, the team has the most Cowboys exclusive fans of any NFL team. They have more fans that just watch them and no other NFL teams, they're not football fans, they're Cowboys fans. The ratings for the playoffs would be better with them in it because they have fans that are not watching because they're not in it. They just don't care.

When I first encountered this back in the 70's, I thought it was an oddity until I encountered it so much. The Cowboys transcend the NFL for many people.

They're like this mediocre TV show but it gets hyped and promoted so much that it gets good ratings. It's the hype machine which is what Booger first understood about the team. He'd leave the product to someone else, the promotion was all his.

 

[Ranching]

Not only did the Cowboys win a lot when I started watching them back in the... ahem... early 70's, but they were also a finesse team. They had their own unique way of playing the game.

And as ESisback says, the Cheerleaders.

Just don't tell those cheerleaders that you're known as Quickdraw!! Lol!

 

[Ranched]

Just don't tell those cheerleaders that you're known as Quickdraw!! Lol!

Naughty Raunchy!

 

[CPanther95]

Same reason the Kardashians are still popular after most have lost their looks.

A huge, and growing, percentage of our population is far more interested in style over substance. The same "glitz and glamour" appeal that Jerry spends all his time and effort cultivating.

 

[Keithfansince5]

The Cowboys were America's Team long before Jones had anything to do with it. The fact that we are still America's Team IMHO has nothing to do with Jones also.

Back in the 70's Dallas was always good. They were going to the playoffs every single year. There was never a mystery if they were going to the playoffs. They were in 5 Superbowls. That is 50% of them for those counting. Then in the 80's the playoff dominance continued for a few years. Everyone saw them play. They were smart in stepping forward to play on Thanksgiving when no other team had the foresight to do so. All of us who followed them then, still do today. If Dallas doesn't get back to their winning ways before we all start dying off, then they will become the Cleveland Browns of the south.

Keep in mind that no team has been more prolific at winning than the Patriots lately. EVER. Yet, the Patriots have not knocked Dallas off of their high perch. Because the Patriots before this were a garbage pale team. Now going forward, they will have a huge and faithful fan base that keeps them relevant for many decades just as the Cowboys fans of old have for Dallas. If things stay the same for another decade or so, the Patriots fan base likely passes the Cowboys. IMHO.

Jones has pushed them to be the highest valued franchise in all of sports. However, fans do not follow them because of that. Honestly the way Jones did that was based solely on the stadium and the Star practice facility. The worth of those buildings is what pushed them to the top.

 

[Keithfansince5]

Cowboys aren't that popular. Its just J.J. selling us that stuff and people only reading Cowboys stuff.

Watch other games, read other news and they will tell you all the same about their or other teams.

Dallas Cowboys are Forbes No. 1 when it comes to franchise value. That doesn't mean they are the most popular or even a popular team. Don't confuse popularity with market value.

Not true. Cowboys football games have higher viewership than any other football team. Sometimes a higher rating than any other show on TV.

 

[ESisback]

Just don't tell those cheerleaders that you're known as Quickdraw!! Lol!

QuickDraw is one thing. Quickshoot is another!

 

[ESisback]

Same reason the Kardashians are still popular after most have lost their looks.

A huge, and growing, percentage of our population is far more interested in style over substance. The same "glitz and glamour" appeal that Jerry spends all his time and effort cultivating.

Sad but true. America is declining, and the Cowboys mirror...

 

[Diehardblues]

As we are all richly aware, the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl in 25 years. They haven't even advanced beyond the divisional playoffs since then. They haven't won a road playoff game in 27 years. There is an entire generation of Cowboys fans that now shares more in common with Bengals or Lions fans than with their own Cowboys elders.

And yet the Cowboys are consistently among the world's richest teams, usually are the NFL's most-watched team, command the highest-ratings, draw the most revenue, sell out all the time.

Is it really just the momentum of those 5 Lombardis? Granted, the Cowboys were already dubbed America's Team in the 1970s, so it's more than that.

Several factors, IMHO:

• The Cowboys have one of the best uniforms in the league, aesthetically speaking.
• The Cowboys are always scheduled in on Thanksgiving, so there's always at least one nationally-televised game.
• At a certain point, momentum begets itself. The Cowboys are popular, so they get high TV ratings and the best nationally-televised slots, which then in turn continues their popularity, and then ensures that they get great primetime games, etc. etc.
• The Cowboys used to host their summer training camp in California, so that ensures a big following in the nation's most populous state.
• Jerry is a terrible GM, but still great owner-wise in terms of getting publicity and marketing things.
• There has only been one season in the past ten years in which the Cowboys were truly bad - the 2015 season. In every other season from 2011-2019, the Cowboys either made the playoffs, or fell short on the very doorstep of the playoffs. That ensured compelling relevancy, and TV-viewership, throughout the season.
• The Cowboys have the biggest and best stadium in the league.
• The Cowboys' cheerleaders are better known than most other NFL cheerleaders.

The biggest factor in the Cowboys Revenue remaining #1 in revenue is the stadium which sells over 90,000 tickets on average at the highest price in the league. It’s the largest stadium so we win basically by default.

Amd popularity is driven by TV viewership. The top viewed games usually involve the Cowboys every year. It’s not just Cowboy fans but other fans who love to root against us.

Jerry’s contributions which he was Inducted for has paved a means for the Cowboys to remain the wealthiest and most popular while not being successful on the field.

He’s truly pimped the brand while lessening the product. American ingenuity at its best. Very common in this country where the biggest , wealthiest and most popular products are average at best.

 

[Bohuntr97]

There is also the hate base that brings in ratings. I'm not in TX and have friends that are hardcore Steelers fans. They tune in to almost every Cowboys game simply to root against them. Cracks me up.

 

[mmohican29]

Cowboys aren't that popular. Its just J.J. selling us that stuff and people only reading Cowboys stuff.

Watch other games, read other news and they will tell you all the same about their or other teams.

Dallas Cowboys are Forbes No. 1 when it comes to franchise value. That doesn't mean they are the most popular or even a popular team. Don't confuse popularity with market value.

LOL @ this post.

The Cowboys are by far the most popular team and it's not close. By every metric- the Cowboys are indeed America's Team.

 

[Bobhaze]

Why are the Cowboys still popular? It’s because of what the 70s and 90s teams did. That’s how the foundations of this fan base were built. Without both of those eras, the Dallas Cowboys would not be that popular now.

And although Jerry deserves some credit for his good business in marketing this team’s success to strengthen the brand, he didn’t buy the Jaguars or the lions or browns. He bought a team in 1989 that yes was losing money, but it had perhaps the best brand and strongest fan base in pro football. This idea that Jerry built this thing from the ground up is a Jones exaggeration.

 

[CPanther95]

LOL @ this post.

The Cowboys are by far the most popular team and it's not close. By every metric- the Cowboys are indeed America's Team.

Cowboys are consistently the most popular team. But it is definitely close. It's only ever 2 or 3% difference between the Top 5.

The difference is there's a rotating shuffle between #2 through #5.

 

[gjkoeppen]

As we are all richly aware, the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl in 25 years. They haven't even advanced beyond the divisional playoffs since then. They haven't won a road playoff game in 27 years. There is an entire generation of Cowboys fans that now shares more in common with Bengals or Lions fans than with their own Cowboys elders.

And yet the Cowboys are consistently among the world's richest teams, usually are the NFL's most-watched team, command the highest-ratings, draw the most revenue, sell out all the time.

Is it really just the momentum of those 5 Lombardis? Granted, the Cowboys were already dubbed America's Team in the 1970s, so it's more than that.

Several factors, IMHO:

• The Cowboys have one of the best uniforms in the league, aesthetically speaking.
• The Cowboys are always scheduled in on Thanksgiving, so there's always at least one nationally-televised game.
• At a certain point, momentum begets itself. The Cowboys are popular, so they get high TV ratings and the best nationally-televised slots, which then in turn continues their popularity, and then ensures that they get great primetime games, etc. etc.
• The Cowboys used to host their summer training camp in California, so that ensures a big following in the nation's most populous state.
• Jerry is a terrible GM, but still great owner-wise in terms of getting publicity and marketing things.
• There has only been one season in the past ten years in which the Cowboys were truly bad - the 2015 season. In every other season from 2011-2019, the Cowboys either made the playoffs, or fell short on the very doorstep of the playoffs. That ensured compelling relevancy, and TV-viewership, throughout the season.
• The Cowboys have the biggest and best stadium in the league.
• The Cowboys' cheerleaders are better known than most other NFL cheerleaders.

The Cowboys have been the highest valued sports franchise in the world for the last 5 years and they sat at #2 for 12 years before that.
.