LeBron James tops New Jersey sports search rankings

A new regional search study puts LeBron James far ahead of other athletes in New Jersey, with more than 1.3 million annual searches. Aaron Rodgers and Travis Kelce round out the state’s top three as the broader data shows Caitlin Clark surging in parts of the Midwest.

Why it matters: - The search data offers a snapshot of which athletes drive the most online interest in New Jersey and across the U.S. - Localized demand can reflect fan engagement, media attention and broader cultural reach. - The study also shows how regional sports interest can diverge sharply from national rankings.

What happened: - LeBron James ranked as New Jersey’s most-searched sports star, averaging 113,070 monthly searches in the state. - That total equals more than 1.3 million annual searches in New Jersey. - Aaron Rodgers ranked second in New Jersey with 69,340 average monthly searches, or 832,080 annually. - Travis Kelce placed third in New Jersey with 57,860 average monthly searches, or 694,320 annually. - Betinia New Jersey conducted the regional analysis across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. - The study tracked a rolling 12-month period. - More information is available in the full study.

The details: - The analysis used Google search volume and combined athlete names with high-intent terms such as “stats,” “news,” “injury updates,” “net worth” and “salary.” - The dataset covered 352 prominent sports stars. - Nationally, LeBron James led the rankings with 3,354,130 average monthly searches and 40,249,560 annual searches. - Aaron Rodgers ranked second nationwide with 2,251,460 average monthly searches and 27,017,520 annual searches. - Travis Kelce ranked third nationwide with 1,924,420 average monthly searches and 23,093,040 annual searches. - Caitlin Clark ranked fourth nationally with more than 1.72 million monthly searches. - Clark also ranked No. 1 in Iowa and Indiana.

Between the lines: - The New Jersey results show the continued dominance of major NFL and NBA names in statewide search behavior. - Clark’s Midwest performance suggests women’s sports stars can command regional attention on the same level as established global athletes. - The mix of search modifiers points to interest that goes beyond popularity and into news, performance, earnings and personal updates.

What's next: - The methodology can be reused to compare future changes in athlete popularity by state. - The rankings may shift as season results, injuries and media coverage change search behavior over time. - Betinia New Jersey’s broader state-by-state data could surface additional regional fan patterns as more analysis is released.