This post originally appeared at CNBC.
Last year's Super Bowl matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers was memorable for many reasons, but one key aspect missing from last year's championship game was a squad of professional cheerleaders. This year, a team with cheerleaders is guaranteed to make the Super Bowl, after Pittsburgh, the only AFC playoff team this year without cheerleaders, was eliminated.
In the off-season, one of the best ways for teams to generate buzz and get significant page views on their websites is to have a strong cheerleader page. So we went through all 32 teams, including the ones still in the playoffs, and ranked the top cheerleading squads, taking in consideration everything from presentation of the cheerleaders online, to fan interaction, community outreach and overall success of the cheerleading teams.
Click here to see the best squads >
Although there is certainly a measure of subjectivity that goes into rankings of this nature, the cheerleader websites and the team’s cheerleader-related marketing campaigns were the major factors in determining this list.
In 2011, 26 teams had cheerleaders for games and have found ways, especially online, to generate revenue from their top cheer teams. As valuations go, NFL teams are hesitant to put a dollar figure on their cheerleading squads, but the use of cheerleaders as a vehicle for marketing is certainly in the public eye.
Here is our ranking of the top 10 teams that make the most of their cheerleading squads, both on and off the field.
10. Atlanta Falcons
Although the Falcons have an extensive library of cheerleaders' photos and videos, the team’s web site is relatively clunky — you have to click on individual photos to see them. Odd strategy, but might lead to more clicks overall. It also created a stand-alone website for the team’s cheerleaders, but it doesn’t look like it’s been updated since last season, with the 2010-2011 swimsuit calendar still “coming soon.”
Regardless, the Falcons have a wealth of interaction with their fans, with plenty of blog posts and Twitter feeds, a great junior cheerleaders program, and a sponsor list that includes nine local and regional businesses.
9. Oakland Raiders
The Raiderettes should be much higher on this list. The cheer team has a slew of sponsors, including categories such as beer, shoes, makeup, a hair salon and nail salon, but the team’s website doesn’t really offer anything special for fans. It does translate many of its blog posts into Spanish, often doubling up posts on the team’s “News and Blogs” page.
The Raiderettes, however, do have a nice interface on their cheerleader bio pages, which include videos and individually selected photos of each member of the squad, along with a big bio picture. The squad has a tiered level of pricing for appearances, which starts at $400 per cheerleader for four hours in the standard package, but the fee shrinks considerably for fundraising events ($100 for three hours) and charitable events ($35 for three hours), all with a minimum of two cheerleaders each.
8. New Orleans Saints
We liked two things about the Saintsations. It’s the only team that offers an autographed swimsuit calendar (though it costs $20 more) and the cheer team is among the least expensive when it comes to public appearances: $250 per cheerleader, per hour.
The team’s outreach to the community also can’t be discounted. This year, the squad paired with its official sponsor, The Royal Sonesta Hotel, to raise money for a college scholarship for high school seniors on a cheer or dance squad. The team also has a long list of charity appearances and is currently developing an alumni team to increase presence in the New Orleans community.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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