Despite fan frustrations new data shows 76ers remain one of NBAs most popular

The 2025-26 edition of the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping to play in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2024, when they lost the the New York Knicks in the first round.

The Sixers, led by All-Star Starting Guard Tyrese Maxey, enter the NBA Play-In Tournament having to host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday Night. If they win that game, they will play the Boston Celtics, but if they lose on Wednesday Night and win Friday Night, they will be matched up with the Detroit Pistons.

Even though they failed to win 50 or more games for the third straight season, the 76ers showed their fans that investments in their young players have paid off: Tyrese Maxey finished the season with the fifth-most Points Per Game (28.3), while VJ Edgecombe had the third-most Points per game among Rookies (16).

New Information Shows Sixers Among Most Popular Teams in the NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) released the latest merchandise sales data for the 2025-26 season, and the 76ers appeared on two lists.

Tyrese Maxey had the 12th top-selling jersey in the NBA this past season, and he is one of only five Eastern Conference players in the Top 15 Best-selling Jerseys. Back in 2024, Maxey had the ninth top-selling jersey in the league, so he continues to be popular among Basketball fans.

The 76ers as a team continued their run among the top ten in merchandise sales, landing in sixth place for the 2025-26 season. Since the 2017-18 season, Philadelphia has been in the top ten of NBA Merchandise sales.

The highest the 76ers have reached in annual NBA merch sales is 2nd-most in 2022. Over the last nine years, Philadelphia has consistently been around the top five in merchandise sales, showing that despite fan frustrations, the Sixers are still one of the most popular teams in the NBA.

The 76ers had the ninth-most attendance in the NBA for the 2025-26 season, which is the lowest they have landed on the attendance list since the 2016-17 season. Philadelphia home games had an estimated 778,871 fans in the building this season, almost 10,000 behind the Boston Celtics home games (785,396) but 5,000 ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (773,047).