How long ago was this? I have never seen them focus on a fan on the field. Actually now they intentionally don't show them at all on TV. Not that I blame them.
Is anyone still storing numbers? Will we be able to get team by team breakdowns and all that good stuff at the end of the year?
With 30 games to go this is the position. 7, 781, 011 crowds to date over 360 games... average of 21, 614. Even 22K is out of reach. However with 30 games to go and assume the same average of 21, 614 you will go close to 8.5 million thu the gates and that's not bad
390 games @ 22K is 8, 580, 000 360 games to date is 7, 781, 011 Difference is 798, 989 798, 989 / 30 games is 26, 633 Meaning an average of 26, 633 over the last 30 games, I still say looks out of reach.
Not arguing for or against just adding to the math. Atlanta is expecting 72k for last home game. 789989-72000=726,989/29=25,068 Minnesota is also expecting a big crowd. Seattle has a home game left.
Several factors. A team was added (LAFC) and their stadium only holds 22k. That is slightly lower than last years average. So 17 games at that stadium will not help improve on the average from 2017. DC United played a couple games at a very small capacity stadium. However their average is only down 4% from last year. Columbus attendance is way down for obvious reasons. It is down 21%. The fans have essentially been told this is a lame duck season. Not saying that will happen, so don't attack. Just saying that is what they have been told/insinuated. Now the rest of these fall into your question. These teams have dropped. Why? Some of them I can guess. Some I don't know. Chicago down 16% (league really needs to do something here IMO...also had a very poor season) NY Red Bulls down 13% (I don't get this one, team doing well) NER down 9% (this could improve a little) Montreal down 8% (this one surprises me too, did they have more early games at the larger stadium last year?) Seattle down 7% (a little surprising. They seemed to have reached their ceiling. Not a bash as that ceiling is higher than all but 1 team.) Philly, Toronto down 3% (really poor seasons would be my guess for this) Orlando, San Jose, Houston down 4% (poor seasons) 7 teams have increased their average from last year. 2 are even (Portland and Colorado) Info from here https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2018-mls-attendance/
If a really poor season for Philly means setting franchise records for wins, road wins, and point in a season........... Philly's drop in attendance is largely due to past poor seasons, plus IMO a chunk of the fan base has moved on permanently due to the first 8 seasons of futility.
Sorry I meant that only for Toronto. Misspoke with the plural on seasons. Just put Philly and Toronto on the same line as they were both 3% drop.
There are a several of factors here.. They have reached their ceiling, the Sounders FO has not been very good at marketing and fan outreach ever since they broke off from the business side of the Seahawks FO, and fans have caught on to the fact that the team just doesn't care that much about the first half of the regular season. Sounders used to be a fun team to watch every game, but over the last three seasons, the first half of the season has been dismal to watch, they bring in a DP or TAM (Lodeiro 2 seasons ago, Leerdam last season, Ruidiaz this season) at midseason, then go on a tear for the rest of the season. If the FO doesn't care about the regular season, why should the fans?
Shot in the dark - season ticket holders who've been conspicuous by their absence in previous seasons did not renew in 2018??
The Red Bulls being down in the midst of one of the best seasons of all time is the biggest concern I'd say. A for New England, they still have a home game, right? Their last game of the season is usually a giant one (35k+).
Do you guys think 20k is just the ceiling for the Red Bulls? RBA is simply too big for their fanbase?
I think it's more the perception that Red Bull Arena is a PITA to get to. Hopefully that will soon be remedied now that the Cortlandt Street subway station at the WTC has finally be completed and the Harrison PATH station renovations are moving along.
Each time I suggest RBA is a PITA to get to someone angrily retorts "well I never have a problem getting to RBA", which is the opposite of what I hear from Jersyites face to face. I have a friend who from North Jersey has begged the FO to put on a shuttle bus from Giants' Stadium to get around the parking issues at RBA. In the meantime he still claims to be a Red Bulls' fan but gets his soccer fix at Yankee Stadium.