Code: % of season completed 5.4% Year Average Median %<10K %>20k 1996 32229 27126 12.5% 87.5% 1997 20599 14862 12.5% 37.5% 1998 15992 14841 10.0% 20.0% 1999 15912 16191 20.0% 20.0% 2000 14448 13005 20.0% 20.0% 2001 18738 17667 0.0% 25.0% 2002 19959 15214 0.0% 28.6% 2003 17270 18924 25.0% 50.0% 2004 20544 22480 25.0% 75.0% 2005 12778 12088 30.0% 0.0% 2006 21653 20541 0.0% 60.0% 2007 17695 17245 0.0% 20.0% 2008 16403 17119 9.1% 27.3% 2009 15314 15291 8.3% 8.3% 2010 19211 18653 7.7% 38.5% Code: Final Numbers Year Average Median %<10K %>20k 1996 17406 15093 21.9% 26.3% 1997 14619 12733 25.0% 16.3% 1998 14312 11871 26.6% 16.1% 1999 14282 12973 32.3% 15.1% 2000 13756 12690 34.4% 12.5% 2001 14962 13431 26.6% 17.7% 2002 15821 14108 17.1% 18.6% 2003 14898 13641 23.3% 18.0% 2004 15559 13285 24.7% 25.3% 2005 15108 12619 27.1% 17.7% 2006 15504 14175 18.8% 18.8% 2007 16770 15353 8.2% 29.7% 2008 16459 15188 11.0% 24.8% 2009 16037 14686 14.7% 20.9%
AAQ: Average: 6th out of 15 Median: 5th out of 15 <10k: 5th out of 15 >20k: 5th out of 15 AAQ = (6+5+5+5)/4 = 5.25
Don't know if these other facts have anything to do with the poor attendance start in 2005 (as it likely just had a lot to do with where the early-season games were played that year) -- but 2005 was the season when MLS grew from 10 to 12 teams (RSL and CUSA added) and the first year that the 12-game reserve division was launched. certainly 2010 has gotten off to a very good attendance start for the league -- likely in part due to where the early-season games have been played (two games already in Seattle and one in the newly opened Harrison venue).
I'm guessing this weeks attendance will drag down the average a little and its really a good news bad news for all of the games. Good Games: DC United at Philly: The Philly home opener should be a big draw look for close to 30k and a solid group of away supporters. Sounders at Real Salt Lake: Should be nice weather and the home opener for the defending champs look for a strong walk up and around 18-19K San Jose at Chicago: Not a great match up but good weather outlook and another home opener should be worth 17-18K LA at Houston: great weather good rivalry and a well supported team Houston drew 18k in their season opener look for about the same here Bad Games: Toronto at New England: Cool weather may hinder walk ups last years attendance was 11k against FC Dallas. Toronto should provide a bump call it 13K New York at Chivas: Weak start and lack luster match up will keep attendance down for this one Chivas drew 18k on the opening weekend call it 15K for this week Rapids at KC: It will sell out but that's still just 10K Columbus at FC Dallas: They drew 8k for their home opener against an instate rival they will be lucky to pass 7k this week Add it all up and you get an average just over 16K not bad but a large drop off from the opening weeks.
I had recently posted this somewhere. Anyway, the game was played in a nor'easter in New York. It was a gale in the true meterological sense: strong winds and driving rain. Clint Mathis went to tee up a corner and the ball was blown away from the spot. On at least one free kick, someone had to hold the ball to keep it from rolling away. simply miserable. I don't know the exact attendance, but it could not have been high.
I don't see how a sell out is considered "a Bad Game". It is what it is for the time being. KC and SJ playing at home should be their own category for now. Yes they drag down attendance averages but if they sell out or operate at 98/99% of capacity that's hardly bad. The only game that is truly troubling is the FC Dallas home game. The level of mismanagement to push attendance to that level in a wonderful SSS complex is remarkable. I've been to Pizza Hut Park and I just don't entirely buy the location issue. Yes it could discourge a portion of the fan base from attending, but I can't see that it has the affect of dropping attendance into the 7k range. There are clearly other factors at work where the team FO is not connecting with existing fans and with potential new fans in the entire NW corner of the Dallas FW area. The New England home game is a concern but not to the level of Dallas.
7k would be an increase from 2009's second home match. I'm going to go out on a limb, and predict that FCD gets 8-9k. The match will be a Saturday evening match, as opposed to week one's afternoon contest. That should bring more attendees out to replace the Dynamo fans from week 1.
Some of you people keep forgetting the Saturday afternoon factor, especially in the markets with "lazier" FO's. I imagine both Dallas and CUSA will hit about 11K.
I can't see FCD reaching 11k this weekend. If they manage to get over 10k it would be a victory. That would be an ~70% increase over last year's week two attendance. http://www.mls-daily.com/2009/04/fc-dallas-2009-home-attendance.html
I just meant "bad" in terms of the attendance numbers which is the focus of this thread. I think long term KC is on the right track and will be on par with Chicago and Chivas attendance wise once their new stadium is built.
It would be horrible not to see higher numbers given Seattle and a larger Toronto capacity and Red Bulls now drawing good crowds. Soon Philly should also pull the numbers up a little.
Not bad? Considering Seattle, NY, LA and Toronto are all playing away from home, to more or less hit the average league attendance for the past 2 or 3 years would be absolutely fantastic. On another point, what amazes me is that announced attendances are pretty believeable these days. It was only 4 years ago when NY would announce 11,000 but pictures posted on here would show that only around 1,000 were actually in GS. So even if tickets sold is/was being used rather than actual attendance, at the very least it still points to the fact that people with tix do actually show up to MLS games these days.
Yeah, but last year game 2 was on the Sunday afternoon one week after the opener. Sunday afternoon is brutal, much worse than Saturday, and it was so soon after the opener that they hardly had a chance to sell it. This year, it's Saturday night and the FO have had two weeks to sell it. That sales force they hired three days before the opener? They're on the job now. I got a call tonight for the first time in a year and a half. I'm not calling a sell-out or anything (I'm not insane), but I bet we outdraw the opener.
I would guess this ("these days" analysis) is in part due to the Week 1 and Week 2 "First Kick" and "Home Opener" reality. as the season drags on and the summer roles around, people may be heading out on vacations, and we may see some of the possible discrepancies between "tickets sold/distributed" and "seats filled." either way, it is good to see "solid" crowds at a lot of MLS venues at this young point in the season. 2010 has the potential to be a very solid year as a whole for league attendance (with some obvious highs and lows in various markets).