Top NFL cheerleading squads

Atlanta Falcons

CNBC.com ranked the NFL's best cheerleading squads of 2012 using criteria that include presentation of the cheerleaders online, fan interaction and community outreach, and the Atlanta Falcons were 10th.

9. OAKLAND RAIDERS: The Raiderettes should be much higher on this list. ... (They) 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.

8. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: CNBC liked two things about the Saintsations. It's the only team that offers an autographed swimsuit calendar and the cheer team is among the least expensive when it comes to public appearances: $250 per cheerleader, per hour.

7. NEW YORK JETS: The New York Giants are one of six teams without a cheer squad and the Jets have a distinct advantage in the nation's largest football market.

6. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: The Eagles continue to be among the most aggressive cheerleading squads. The team was the first team to launch a swimsuit calendar app this year (cost $1.99 on the Android), it encouraged fans to Celebrate the Holidays with the Cheerleaders, and members of the squad maintain a robust blog.

5. DENVER BRONCOS: In addition to their work on game days, the cheerleaders commit nearly 1,000 hours per year to charities and other events in the Denver area, according to the Broncos. It also has a robust junior cheerleaders program for girls between the ages of six and 14, covering seven months of instruction by team cheerleaders.

4. HOUSTON TEXANS: On the cheer team's website is a convenient scrollable list of its cheerleaders, allowing fans to familiarize themselves with members of the squad. CNBC awarded extra points for the relatively long videos on the team's site, as well as being the only NFL cheerleading squad to feature two sets of twins.

3. MIAMI DOLPHINS: The Dolphins are the only NFL team to have links to the cheerleaders' Twitter and Facebook pages right on the front of its website. There are plenty of photos that can be enlarged, as well as high-quality video.

2. DALLAS COWBOYS: The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders are not only the most prestigious squad in the NFL, they're also the most heavily marketed. On the team's website are endless photos and updated cheerleader blogs, not to mention more than 130,000 people have "liked" the squad on Facebook. ... If there's a negative for this cheer team, it's that the Cowboys don't let the cheerleaders have their own individual social media accounts, and that's a shame.

1. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Chances are that you were shocked to find a cold weather team at the top of this list. ... What makes this team so good? Let's start with its website, which contains 16 years of photos and something called "Cheer 365" where fans can vote on which picture they find most attractive.

1/10

CNBC.com ranked the NFL's best cheerleading squads of 2012 using criteria that include presentation of the cheerleaders online, fan interaction and community outreach. At No. 10, the ATLANTA FALCONS: 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.

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