Rams, Chargers on collision course with same problems, on and off the field

The Los Angeles Chargers are a woeful 0-6. The Los Angeles Rams are a disappointing 3-4. And as the teams head into their game Sunday, Nov. 1 at SoFi Stadium, they’re struggling with another problem.Both teams are struggling off the field as measured by their fan bases. The Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index released in August highlights the issue.Only one in four adults in the Los Angeles market watched, streamed, attended, listened to or followed the Rams in the past year, based on data available when the study was released. That accounted for 24% of the Los Angeles market and left roughly 11 million adults with no connection to the Rams.The Chargers engaged with 17% of the Los Angeles market, meaning the team's fan base was approximately three-quarters the size of the Rams’ fan base."I think they're both underperforming," Jon Miller, Nielsen VP of Audience Insight, told USA TODAY Sports. That, Miller added, is particularly true of the Rams considering the team has played in the Super Bowl and won it once since they returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016.Unlike similar studies. the Nielsen Scarborough NFL Fandom Index excludes TV ratings in favor of factors such as apparel purchases, attendance, listening and watching and social and streaming. Teams from small markets like the Buffalo, Kansas City and Green Bay led NFL Fandom Index."Conversely, large multi-option media hubs such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami underperformed," Nielsen reported. "In these saturated markets, a wealth of entertainment options and split team loyalties often dilute per-capita intensity, leaving New York at the very bottom of the index."Los Angeles ranked 29th, ahead of only New York. What defines the NFL in LA?Petros Papadakis grew up in the Los Angeles area and played football at Southern Cal. He was a tailback between 1997 to 2000 and eventually a team captain.Now 49, Papadakis is a college football analyst for Fox Sports, co-host of the "Petros and Money Show" on AM 570 LA Sports and more than familiar with the Chargers and Rams."Pro football in town can probably be, even still after all these years, described by the object of a Raiders bucket hat," Papadakis said of the team that played in Los Angeles from 1984 to 1992.Despite the Chargers’ dismal start to the 2026 season, Papadakis said he thinks the Chargers are spending more than they did in San Diego. For example, head coach Jim Harbaugh earns an annual salary of $16 million..Harbaugh along with Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs and Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos have the highest salaries among head coaches, according to Sportico. The return on investment: Harbaugh led the team to records of 11-6 but no playoff victories in his first two seasons before this disastrous Year 3.Also, in 2024 the Chargers opened a new headquarters that cost roughly $175 million, according to Variety.The Rams have spent too, building SoFi Stadium at a cost of approximately $5 billion. But Papadakis said the Rams misfired with their marketing efforts."They had like the guy, one of the Jonas Brothers, and Keenan Thompson from "Saturday Night Live" doing live skits between quarters," Papadakis said. "They thought that was Hollywood. You want to do something for L.A.? Get a mariachi band."Non-traditional fans in Los AngelesThere may be hope for the Rams and Chargers developing a broader fan base, one that could help muffle the large sound of the opposing teams' fans.Nielsen reports that only 13% of Gen Z adults (ages 18–29) engage with the Rams and 10% with the Chargers. By contrast, it's 33% and 27% of boomer adults ages 60–69. Neilsen also reports young Hispanic adults are an especially large untapped group: Hispanic Gen Z adults number nearly 1.8 million in the market, but only 12% engage with the Rams and 9% with the Chargers.It's a similar story with women, who according to Nielsen comprise more than half the Los Angeles market but only 17% engage with the Rams and 13% with the Chargers, compared with 31% and 22% of men.Recalling the Rams hiring actress Rebel Wilson, Papadakis said, "That's a play for your kids."Or it could be a play to attract fans, with whatever it takes.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams, Chargers on collision course with same problems, on and off the field