2019 USL Attendance

Discussion in 'United Soccer Leagues' started by Macsen, Mar 25, 2019.

  1. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    Look at the match highlights for CRW/Madison. There were maybe 300 people there.

    That's the supporters section behind the goal and it's completely empty.
    Likewise, Lansing/Greenville:

    And Richmond/Tuscon:


    I realize we live in a world where we count tickets distributed, but USL-1 is simply taking that beyond the pale.
     
  2. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]

    OCB is the only team in all of pro USL not to have all their attendance data recorded.

    What difference, at this point, does it make?
     
    AZUL GALAXY repped this.
  3. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    Lansing, again, looks to be making a mockery of attendance figures:

    Madison seems to be doing pretty well. Greenville should have done a whole hell of a lot better given the weather in the SE last weekend.
     
  4. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]

    USL dominated by MLS2 numbers last week.

    That's not a good thing.

    And T2 will begin to drag USL-1 numbers even further down as it races OCB to the bottom.
     
    Eleven Bravo and AZUL GALAXY repped this.
  5. The Marquis

    The Marquis Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 13, 2007
    Washougal, WA
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    TFC2, not T2. T2 draw over 3k this weekend.
     
    Owen Thornhill repped this.
  6. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The guy who normally posts this on Reddit was a day late with it.

    [​IMG]

    It doesn't look quite as bad with only four numbers below 2k.

    Richmond and Madison had pretty good nights. Too bad they both lost.

    Reno claims a season high with their derby blowout comb. Hartford seems to have found its niche crowd, and just in time as their current numbers look to be around where the rebuilt Dillon Stadium's capacity is. We'll see how that looks when they move.
     
  7. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]

    TWO SPR home matches. Ouch.

    But also two New Mexico United matches above their already insane attendance averages.
     
  8. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]

    It seems Charlotte doesn't report their full capacity.

    Seeing another NA by OCB makes me sad. But I really shouldn't expect much better from an MLS2 reserve club in BFE.

    If they were smart, they'd re-brand when they move to Kissimmee next year.
     
  9. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know part of the problem with League One matches.

    There’s no reason why these games should cost $20+ at the game for a single ticket. The quality is simply not good enough to justify what a ticket in MLS might cost. In my opinion, they should try to lower the cost league wide to pull more people in.

    And, I don’t think it’s an interest problem. For instance, here in Greenville, it is very common to see Greenville Triumph stickers on people’s cars. So, obviously there are fans who are interested in attending the games. They’re just too expensive to justify going to every game. Plus, when you add in port-a-johns and uncharged concessions, it starts to feel like a rip off. I do try to go to the games but I can’t blame people for not going.

    Meanwhile, I can go see the Greenville Drive, a baseball game, and get tickets and concessions both for half the price. And sadly, (I’m not even a baseball fan) but the atmosphere is much better.
     
  10. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    The Red Wolves had to massively reduce their single game tickets for exactly this reason: between Chattanooga FC ($10/$12 at the gate) and the Lookouts ($6 GA), nobody was going to pay $20/person to see D3 soccer.

    Their tickets are now mostly $8-$18 (they have a $28 "premium plus" ticket, as well), but even then, they still can't draw. I can't imagine what the balance sheet looks like.
     
  11. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I guess the way they look at it:

    2715x20 = 54,300
    4000x12 = 48,000
    4000x10 = 40,000

    But, if they lowered it to $15 and had max capacity (4000) they would get back $60k.
     
  12. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    This ignores concessions and parking and whatnot, though. I think more people means more $$ in almost every scenario (although I don't know if they can sell beer, which would change the equation significantly).

    The thing I find interesting about Greenville is that FC's crowds have cratered this season (they were pretty decent crowds last year): it sort of looks like the Triumph completely cannibalized FC's audience. Clearly ticket prices did not send people to the other game in town.
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  13. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I’m hoping though that the Greenville situation improves when they move into their stadium. Where they’re at now isn’t exactly the worst case scenario but it definitely is not of good an environment as going to see the baseball or hockey team who are also minor leaguers. Still, I see Triumph stickers all over town whereas I hardly ever see Drive or Swamp Rabbits merchandise. So, that is a a good sign.
     
  14. JoePanther

    JoePanther New Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Jun 23, 2019
    I wished the Riverhounds could get bigger crowds. They need to get a broadcast deal and do more to promote the team here in Pittsburgh.
     
  15. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  16. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Last two weeks' attendance trackers, because my interest was low last week, and the previous week's was late.

    [​IMG]
     
    AZUL GALAXY repped this.
  17. Owen Thornhill

    Dec 22, 2012
    Club:
    Cork City
    Considering FC Tuscon have a 1,800 capacity stadium 1,772 attendance must be good. Think they would build another stand.?
     
  18. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    "Tucson plays their home games at the 2,900-seat Kino Sports Complex North Stadium constructed in 2013"

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Tucson

    "The Complex north of Ajo Way primarily is dedicated to soccer and long field activities with a lighted 2,000-seat North Grandstand field, four more soccer fields, and a 3,000-seat stadium (North Stadium)."

    http://kinosportscomplex.com/kino.shtml

    The FC Tucson page about their stadium seems to be a weird hodgepodge of the two stadiums.

    https://www.fctucson.com/kinosportscomplex

    But I'm pretty sure they are averaging less than 1/2 capacity (and their largest crowd is only a little over half), so a new stand might be premature.
     
    Owen Thornhill repped this.
  19. Owen Thornhill

    Dec 22, 2012
    Club:
    Cork City
    Cool according to Wikipedia I only saw one stadium with the 1,800/2,000 capacity stadium. I could be wrong but is the bigger stadium a baseball stadium which can be converted to a soccer stadium like half the USL
     
  20. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    No, that's yet a different stadium at the same complex: http://kinosportscomplex.com/stadium.shtml - 8,000 seats.
     
  21. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From what I've seen of Kino, it's a pretty spread-out complex.

    [​IMG]

    I honestly think attendance for USL-C wouldn't look so depressing if FC Cincinnati didn't add so much to the 2018 and previous numbers.
     
  22. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    The YTD deltas don't seem significantly off that the league needs to worry about much (9 out of 21 are up), but we may see some fallout on individual teams, if their trends persist.
     
  23. canammj

    canammj Member+

    Aug 25, 2004
    CHINO, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So then what is everyones thoughts of rumors of MLS owned USL-C dropping to USL-1 ?
    The addition teams would fill out USL-1 into a nice size league , but goes back to what I seem to be reading that it boils down is all about player development and/or worries about attendances?
    My 10 cents if you are USL-C and trying to get new owners in some still fairly large or unserved areas, how do you explain to a possible owner that some of the teams you are playing against draw less than 1,000 per game?
    Would make me think twice about what I am investing in.
    I also think in all likely hood USL-C loosing SAC and its upper end attendance , as well as NASH and maybe STL, the average attendance in USL-C is going to drop anyway.
    I am not a numbers guy, but the comparisons would be to me=

    >USL-C doesn't drop MLS teams, but looses SAC, what does the average attendance drop
    or
    >USL-C drops the MLS teams AND looses SAC, what does the average attendance come to
     
  24. Expansion Franchise

    Chattanooga FC
    United States
    Apr 7, 2018
    I'm not really sure the league-wide average matters a whole lot and I don't really care all that much that the reserves don't draw crowds (do these same complaints happen in Europe?): it's far more important whether or not the independent teams are functioning anywhere near a sustainable level, since this is a league that is largely funded by the gate.
    The expansion sides this season are a pretty good representation of the attendance spectrum: you've got New Mexico leading the league and Austin down near the bottom of the independents, with the rest filing in pretty evenly in between.
    I doubt we'll see a Cincinnati again, but this year's group makes me think that Sacramento doesn't have to be considered an outlier either.
    And then there's the fact that several existing teams are about to open new stadiums or are discussing them (I'm not counting those, since it's nice to want things and all...) but Louisville's stadium opens next year and the year after that Charlotte and Colorado Springs should be in their new (and more importantly, better located) stadiums.

    I think if you take the independent teams from that table, we've found the sort of what we can expect from D2: a ceiling of 10-12,000, a floor of a little under 3,000 (let's leave Charlotte out, since I feel it's somewhat an exceptional case right now) and most teams drawing in the 5-6k range.

    Now, on the other hand, I don't know how you get to 40 teams by dropping 9 and trying to sell the remaining 12-14 (because losing Ottawa is probable, as well, but you've got NYC, SD, and East Bay on deck) spots at $10 million a pop.
     
  25. canammj

    canammj Member+

    Aug 25, 2004
    CHINO, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ----------
    $10 million a pop seems a lot for USL-C and I am just basing it on the big range of attendances.
    I think USL-C , much like MLS needs to work on getting the bottom feeder teams built up/improved
    While MLS can't "drop" a team , can USL-C force a team to drop to USL-! ? Will be a very interesting off season and to see how this all plays out.
     

Share This Page