New York City Professional Sports Teams

As a sports fanatic, you might be wondering how many professional sports teams are in NYC. New York has the most MLS franchises in America, with a total of 11 teams. Tourists throughout the world become fans of these New York pro sports teams and travel here to see them perform at their home venues. Since NYC’s sporting events are a huge attraction for locals and tourists, tickets are usually hard to come by.

Check out New York’s sports teams before you embark on your adventure.

New York City Baseball Teams

Baseball might be New York’s most popular sporting event because of the well-known rivalry between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. These two New York baseball teams attract more tourists from all over the country than any other sport.

• New York Yankees: It’s the most successful New York professional sports team, with 27 World Series titles. Some of the most famous players in history have played on this team, including Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Joe DiMaggio.
• New York Mets: The New York Mets are based in the NYC borough of Queens. They boast some of the most loyal baseball fans. All fans can sing along to the “Meet the Mets” song and are usually greeted by Mr. Met, the team’s official mascot, when they enjoy a game at Citi Field. People believe that Mr. Met was the first MLB mascot to come out as a costumed character.

NYC Basketball Teams

Basketball fans love New York City. It consists of innumerable basketball courts throughout the city, where some of the most renowned players have learned to shoot hoops. There are two major NYC basketball teams:

• New York Knicks: Also called the New York Knickerbockers, the New York Knicks are the most famous. Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden is their stamping ground. Apart from the 20,000 ordinary spectators, you may come across world-famous celebrities sitting courtside to support their team. As such, tickets always sell out.
• Brooklyn Nets: They’re an American pro sports team based in the NYC borough of Brooklyn. They spent 35 seasons in New Jersey before relocating to Brooklyn in 2012. Since the Nets are in Brooklyn and the Knicks are in Manhattan, some media outlets have dubbed their rivalry the “Clash of the Boroughs”.

NYC Football Teams

Football is almost as popular as baseball in NYC and also has a rivalry. The two major football teams in New York share a home, MetLife Stadium. Although it’s an exciting venue to visit, it’s actually several miles away in New Jersey. The city is filled with gift shops where you can find lots of merchandise for your favorite team.

• New York Giants: The NY Giants use MetLife Stadium for their home games, which they share with the Jets. They joined the National Football League in 1925 and have since won eight league championships and four Super Bowls. Since Giants games usually sell out, you should buy your tickets early.
• New York Jets: You can catch the Jets in action at MetLife Stadium. NY Jets tickets are slightly more available than NY Giants tickets. So, you can get some tickets at a discount with zero fees. 

NYC Soccer Teams

NYC has a long history in soccer. Some of the major stadiums in New York that host soccer matches include Yankee Stadium, Red Bull Arena, and MetLife Stadium.

• New York City FC: It’s an American professional soccer team based in NYC. It competes in MLS, as part of the league’s Eastern Conference. The club played its first game in the 2015 Major League Soccer season. They play most of their games at Yankee Stadium, Bronx. When Yankee Stadium is unavailable, they consider several alternative venues, like Queens’ Citi Field and New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena.

• New York Red Bulls: The Red Bulls Metro is also an American professional soccer team based in the NY metropolitan area. They compete in the MLS as an Eastern Conference member. They usually play their home competitions at Red Bull Arena, NJ.

NYC Hockey Teams

Hockey fans can never get enough of New York’s pro sports teams! NYC is one of the few US states that has three different National Hockey League (NHL) teams with a devoted fan base.

• New York Islanders: The Isles are based in Elmont, NYC. They compete in the NHL as a member of the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division and usually play their home competitions at UBS Arena. Their fan base resides mainly in Long Island. Besides winning four Stanley Cup championships, they’ve sent several players to the Hall of Fame.
• New York Rangers: They’re are a pro ice hockey club. They play in the NHL as a member of the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division. The team usually uses Madison Square Garden (MSG) as its training ground.
• Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres came into the NHL in 1970. They play in the Atlantic Division within the league’s Eastern Conference. The team plays its home competitions at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.

Conclusion