The nickname originated with the team's 1978 highlight film, where the narrator (John Facenda) opens with the following introduction:They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars.

[8] The nickname was coined at the height of Landry's NFL-record 20 consecutive winning season streak, during which Dallas appeared in 12 conference championship games (counting the 1966 and 1967 league championships) and five Super Bowls, and was exemplified on the field by the iconic Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach, but the team's popularity has continued over the decades during periods of both mediocrity and dynastic success.

[11] Among the many Cowboys innovations that have contributed to their distinct reputation are their professional, overtly beautiful, all female cheerleader squad, nicknamed "America's Sweethearts", that has since been copied around the NFL but still stands out as singularly iconic, and has been the subject of multiple movies, has made numerous national television appearances, routinely tours with the USO, makes other appearances around the world, and has been featured in its own long running reality show on CMT.

The Cowboys are consistently in either primetime or the national doubleheader slot regardless of on-the-field play, very rarely airing in a 1 PM Eastern regional game; this also contributes to their popularity.

[15] Franchises with long successful histories and large nationwide fan bases are occasionally referred to as America's Team.

The Atlanta Braves laid claim to the name due to their games being broadcast on cable television systems nationwide on TBS from 1977 to 2007, building a fan base in areas of the United States far removed from a Major League Baseball team.

"[18] This was reiterated by Pittsburgh native and former Cowboys assistant coach Dave Wannstedt during a 2016 segment on Fox NFL Kickoff when covering the upcoming matchup between the two teams when he revealed that the nickname was actually offered to the Steelers first by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle following the Steelers victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl X, only to be declined by Rooney.

[19] Following their win in Super Bowl XLIV, a few media writers referred to the New Orleans Saints as "America's Team", as their successful bid to win the Super Bowl was seen by many to represent the city's resurgence after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina ("for one game, the Saints are America's Team").