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Update - MLS attendance averages comparable to NBA, NHL nationwide
getin2thegame posted 10/31/2007 from ballhype.com
Update for November 2007 - MLS post-season...
(Figures will be updated in November as warranted)
Major League Soccer's average attendance is at its highest level since 1996, the league's very first season, and the leaguewide attendance average itself rivals the leaguewide average of the most recent seasons of both the NBA and NHL.
All three leagues now average between 16,000 and 17,500 nationwide. The major differences, of course, include the facts that MLS has far fewer teams and plays far fewer games than the other two, and that MLS is also a baby compared with either of them historically - NHL turns 100 years old this season.
Another very interesting tidbit; the percentage of MLS games that had fewer than 10,000 spectators this season. For 1007, that number is at an all-time low, with only 8.5% of games having fewer than 10K.
There have been problems with media claiming low attendances as a reason for not covering MLS all these years.
The MLS leaguewide average is only slightly below the NBA, a sport to which they give saturation coverage, and the NHL, whose regional popularity gives it blanket coverage in some areas, while in others little (but often far more than MLS).
The LA Galaxy has had an average over 20,000 for many years, and that had nothing to do with David Beckham, obviously.
Yet, this team had been ignored year after year by the sports media.
The high average attendances, added to the other data such as record TV viewing and individual stadium records,
prove that it is time for the media to start covering Major League Soccer as the true Major League that it has become.
2007 Regular Season Home Attendances (compared w/'06)
Team..G......Total....Avg.....2006. ..Change..Median
NER...15....251,812..16,787..11,786 ..42.4%..15,289
COL...15....221,229..14,749..12,056 ..22.3%..14,577
CHI...15....247,356..16,490..14,111 ..16.9%..18,453
LAG...15....363,782..24,252..20,814 ..16.5%..24,333
DCU...15....314,506..20,967..18,215 ..15.1%..18,918
COL...15....228,451..15,230..13,294 ..14.6%..13,572
NYR...15....247,948..16,530..14,570 ..13.5%..13,219
KCW...15....173,784..11,586..11,083 ...4.5%..10,141
FCD...15....227,182..15,145..14,982 ...1.1%..15,059
TFC...15....301,947..20,130...N/A.. ...N/A...20,156
RSL...15....239,395..15,960..16,366 ..-2.5%..14,789
HOU...15....238,240..15,883..18,935 .-16.1%..14,351
CHV...15....214,578..14,305..19,840 .-27.9%..11,253
MLS..195..3,270,210..16,770..15,504 ...8.2%..15,353
Gain of 8.2% in leaguewide average is the highest since 8.8% jump from 2000 to 2001.
NER...15....251,812..16,787..11,786 ..42.4%..15,289
COL...15....221,229..14,749..12,056 ..22.3%..14,577
CHI...15....247,356..16,490..14,111 ..16.9%..18,453
LAG...15....363,782..24,252..20,814 ..16.5%..24,333
DCU...15....314,506..20,967..18,215 ..15.1%..18,918
COL...15....228,451..15,230..13,294 ..14.6%..13,572
NYR...15....247,948..16,530..14,570 ..13.5%..13,219
KCW...15....173,784..11,586..11,083 ...4.5%..10,141
FCD...15....227,182..15,145..14,982 ...1.1%..15,059
TFC...15....301,947..20,130...N/A.. ...N/A...20,156
RSL...15....239,395..15,960..16,366 ..-2.5%..14,789
HOU...15....238,240..15,883..18,935 .-16.1%..14,351
CHV...15....214,578..14,305..19,840 .-27.9%..11,253
MLS..195..3,270,210..16,770..15,504 ...8.2%..15,353
Gain of 8.2% in leaguewide average is the highest since 8.8% jump from 2000 to 2001.
LA Galaxy had the highest numbers again, but not dissimilar to some of their winning seasons in the past, even with the so-called "Beckham Effect" this year.
LA Galaxy continues to beat out the Lakers and Kings in attendance averages.
