14k to 20K its a 6K increase from the first week to the second. I agree with @kenntomasch that it is perhaps too early to make anything of it. Yet, I however think the increase after the first week speaks volumes to both the city/fans and the ownership for wanting more... A significant margin of m0ar!
It's the only thing!!! Seruisly though, if people don't buy tickets (and come to games ), why should anyone pay any attention to anything else that's going on? If people buy season tickets and come to most games, you've got an audience that you can sell & monetize. If they don't, you've nothing except a money pit - aka Edmonton.
Attendance isn't everything, but it's certainly something. And in American soccer it's a much higher percentage of a team's revenue than in most top leagues, which makes it more important here than it is elsewhere.
@ SLC: ??? (they claimed a sellout, but capacity is unclear) @ Charlotte: ??? @ Cincinnati: 20,497 (new D-III regular-season record) @ Melbourne: 1,019 @ St. Louis: 5,531 @ Irvine: ??? @ VFC2: N/A @ Wilmington: 3,182 @ Bethlehem: 2,417 @ NYRBII: ??? @ Toronto: 2,000? (they claimed a sellout) @ T2: 1,649 @ S2: ??
Yeah, the 20,000+ had a perfect storm situation. I am amazed by the crowds and the enthusiasm in the area. My in laws who know nothing about the sport are aware of the team due to highlights on local news and articles in the local papers. I would love it if 14,000+ was the norm, but I can see some midweek games being rough. Keep in mind the goal before the season was 5,000 season tickets and 10,000 average attendance so right now the response has been above the clubs highest expectations. We've had a great start, but no need to get ahead of ourselves. Just focus on having a great 2016 in USL.
as the very last line in the article says..."scoff at your own peril". http://www.cincinnati.com/story/spo...6/doc-right-time-place-soccer-cincy/83143642/
I am not "scoffing". I love that my home city is embracing the sport I love in way I've never seen before. I'm just tempering expectations because I think it is unfair to FCC that they should draw 18,000+ each week. There is interest and great diversity in the crowds, I see all sorts of folks and people are gobbling up merchandise like crazy, it's amazing. Nothing would make me happier than the crowds to continue as I cheer along side others in The Bailey. I just don't want people to panic if we "only" draw 14-16,000 for the Wilmington match in a couple weeks.
TFC2 announced 1,200 according to TOareaFan. As well as RocketRobin, a lifetime fan of Toronto area soccer. These two were at the game. http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports16/16tfc243.htm
Cincinnati and Columbus would make a perfect rivalry in MLS. So would Cincinnati and Louisville. But Cincinnati's numbers, unless they go completely off a cliff, are so good that they could cut in line in front of Miami.
Over 5,000 season ticket holders mean even on a terrible day they could expect 6-7,000 tickets sold. For the recent match 15,000 were sold before and then 5,000 walked up day of match.
Good for them. Maybe they've cracked the code. It's surely an auspicious start. My only point was some are putting them in MLS after two weekends. Two weeks and you're an all-time legend and all that.
True. But when you look at the ownership group (billionaire Lindner family) and the background of the CEO they've hired (ex Sales & Mktg Director for the Bengals, former Cincinnati city councilman) and the professionalism of the effort they're putting in, MLS is the goal and a very realistic one at that. Like the article says, the rich "don’t get [or stay] rich backing longshots." It'll take a year or two, but if - if - they stabilize attendances at the 14k range and get all the other elements in place (SSS, sponsorships, etc.) Garber and the BoG would be derelict if they didn't put them right beside Sacramento at the head of the 25-28 round of applicants.
I don't know the exact numbers, but FCC have been very aggressive at landing all sorts of sponsors. I think ownership and management have connections and pull in the local area to land those. I'd also point to merchandise sales, the club has sold out items and expanded options for clothes and all to buy and the lines at first two matches were massive. I've actually seen a dozen or so people in the area with something FCC related outside of matches or watch parties. The sport has never been embraced like the city as it is right now with this club. The stadium is the big issue. Nippert is great and had a recent major renovation making it feel new, but it is shared and know outside of Seattle and New York City that sort of situation is frowned upon.
Given numbers I've seen in regards to expansion I don't see it as zero sum. MLS by 2022 could have Miami and Cincinnati as well as Sacramento and San Antonio based on articles I've read.
They wouldn't be derelict if the team along side Sacramento is a more valuable market is available.... Sacramento and Cincy are 27 (S) and 28 (C) in terms of Metro size, and 20 (S) and 34 (C) in TV Markets. There are bigger fish to fry and I don't think the BoG would be overly eager to pick up two small markets at once. I'm not saying Cincinnati won't happen eventually, but it's a small market- there shouldn't be any urgency to expand there and no reason to skyrocket them to the top of the expansion wish list.
Don't forget St. Louis, very viable and expands the league's footprint. As much as I wish Cincinnati well, and I do, unless Miami implodes the battle is down to the 28th spot because I think San Antonio is a strong favorite as well.
St. Louis for sure - and other Markets I'd imagine MLS would like to get in eventually: Phoenix Detroit Tampa Carolina
Sorry, I didn't mean only those four cities. I just meant the cap of total sides in MLS seems to allow wiggle room that most of the current crop of clubs courting MLS could possibly get in the 2018-2026 window.
1200 is the correct number in Toronto for TFC2 : http://www.yorkregion.com/sports-st...s-for-draw-in-home-opener-against-pittsburgh/ "The beautiful weather helped draw a capacity crowd of 1,200 to the Ontario Soccer Centre and about 100 Red Patch Boys kept up a steady colourful chant in a corner of the stadium throughout the match." The OSS was initially planned to have a 2K capacity but a smaller set of stands was installed instead bringing capacity to 1200.