MLS attendance update

[Oldtimer]

Here is an update of MLS attendances:

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-%E2%80%93-week-20/10035#more-10035


Some interesting facts:

Seattle and Toronto lead the league both in attendance and capacity untilization (excepting the Wiz's 97% usage of their ball park).

Although Toronto is having record attendance, games are no longer sold out (due to the new stands). This is why scalpers are no longer making huge profits. Only Seattle is sold out.

Median attendance is down, mean average is up. This shows good attendance for some "special" games, while week-by-week attendance is not doing so well (maybe caused by the US financial situation).

Chivas and Revs significantly down. San Jose down due to smaller stadium, it seems. DC is struggling (small wonder there).

NY is way up, but still under 70% of capacity.

No huge WC "bump."

[Ageroo]

I found it interesting that the Galaxy/Red Bulls game on the weekend was the first time their new stadium was sold out......

[deltox]

^they might have sold all the tickets....but the stadium was not to capacity.

there was not 25,000 in that thing

[Shway]

^^agreed i seen alot of yellow and red from the seats

[habstfc]

The thing about attendance in toronto is that there is still the perception out there that the games are sold out so alot of people don't bother trying get tickets. My brother is the perfect example, he goes to most games with me but when I can't go (like this weekend) he hadn't tried to get tickets until I told him that ticketmaster has tickets for most games. Now he'll go with a friend if I can't make it to a game.

You would think that with henrys' first appearance in a league game against TFC this past week would be a guarantee to sell out but nope.

[rocker]

A lot of people on this very board were skeptical of the shite bulls selling out that place. It's Jersey, not New York. Jersey isn't the best at selling out arenas, even for NBA and NHL.

I haven't seen an update on the San Jose stadium situation.. anyone know what's up with them? They got into MLS with a crappy little temp stadium and still haven't got a real stadium yet.

[Hitcho]

How can Seattle get north of 100% capacity attendance? I mean, where are they putting the additional 600 fans or so beyond capacity that they seem to be getting on average each week?! Is this something to do with upper and lower bowls or are their crowd announcements for game days even more suspect than the BMO Field ones?!

Also, what happened in week 20 in 2007 to cause such a bump? Something Beckham related?

[Pachuco]

The thing about attendance in toronto is that there is still the perception out there that the games are sold out so alot of people don't bother trying get tickets. My brother is the perfect example, he goes to most games with me but when I can't go (like this weekend) he hadn't tried to get tickets until I told him that ticketmaster has tickets for most games. Now he'll go with a friend if I can't make it to a game.

You would think that with henrys' first appearance in a league game against TFC this past week would be a guarantee to sell out but nope.

If people want to go bad enough they'd be buying tickets through scalpers or other means. I agree with what you are saying that some people don't know, but personally, those people don't want to go bad enough. If they did, scalpers would be snapping up those seats and reselling them over face value.

There is no doubt in my mind the demand has fallen quite a bit for TFC tickets from the 1st year. I can't sell my tickets for face value any more to games that I cannot attend.

Henry isn't Beckham. He isn't going to attract all the 14 year old girls and their mothers who would pay through the nose to say they saw Beckham play.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

The thing about attendance in toronto is that there is still the perception out there that the games are sold out so alot of people don't bother trying get tickets. My brother is the perfect example, he goes to most games with me but when I can't go (like this weekend) he hadn't tried to get tickets until I told him that ticketmaster has tickets for most games. Now he'll go with a friend if I can't make it to a game.

You would think that with henrys' first appearance in a league game against TFC this past week would be a guarantee to sell out but nope.

That's my experience as well - a lot of friends assume every game is sold out (like the Leafs), so they don't bother to try to buy tickets. The club needs to get off its ass and start advertising ticket sales. A simple add in the Sun sports section isn't good enough; TV ads are necessary in this regard.

[razor787]

They are doing much better lately. I am hearing radio ads, I see a lot more print ads, and I cant speak for TV much because I dont watch much, but I would assume they are putting some ads out there too. Not as bad as it used to be

[Ageroo]

I remember one game at BMO I had giving my seat to my girlfriend's brother who was visiting so I was without a ticket....I just walked up to the ticket booth before game time and found a cheap seat no problem.

[Carts]

They are doing much better lately. I am hearing radio ads, I see a lot more print ads, and I cant speak for TV much because I dont watch much, but I would assume they are putting some ads out there too. Not as bad as it used to be

Agreed...

They've definitely started promoting the Champions League matches...

I'm guessing they didn't like that huge patch of empty seats in the North End during the Montagua match...

Personally, with the 'continent concept' lost on a lot of North American fans who have just started to watch footy, I think TFC should have dangled a carrot. "Purchase 2-matches get one free" for the group stage or something, try and pull in some on the fence purchasers etc. Once they're in the stadium during a CL match, they'll feel its importance and be that much further educated...

Carts...

[Pachuco]

I just called ticketmaster and found 10+ seats IN MY ROW empty. It's getting so bad that I don't even have to try and find people in my row who can't attend the game so I can get family members to sit with me. Now I can just call ticketmaster and purchase tickets for the entire family in the same row. Most people in my row are regulars. Tells me there is no interest in spending more money on more games from regulars.

[pdogg]

Pachuco, it might just be people swapping around seats, especially in the higher priced sections... I don't know what your section is, but my seasons are in 109, but it was too much money to pick up all my sats again for those 3 games, so I opted for a cheaper section. At the Motagua game, the dark greys and reds were fairly empty, while the less expensive sections were full.

[Pachuco]

Pachuco, it might just be people swapping around seats, especially in the higher priced sections... I don't know what your section is, but my seasons are in 109, but it was too much money to pick up all my sats again for those 3 games, so I opted for a cheaper section. At the Motagua game, the dark greys and reds were fairly empty, while the less expensive sections were full.

I'm in 109 :). I may have bought your seats just now...haha.

I get what you are saying, but if you have the ability to swap your seats for cheaper seats then it's still the same net result. It still means someone in the cheaper section didn't pick up their seats, makes it even worse right?

[JonO]

^ I've been preaching this for a couple of years now. The drop off in interest from first year to now is huge. I have tickets in the reds. In first year I had no trouble selling when I couldn't make a game. 2nd was a lot more difficult and this year I have to practically give them away...

[CretanBull]

A lot of people on this very board were skeptical of the shite bulls selling out that place. It's Jersey, not New York. Jersey isn't the best at selling out arenas, even for NBA and NHL.

I know people in New Jersey who refuse to support any team that plays in New Jersey but calls itself "New York"...there's a pretty high level of resentment there, at least among some people.

[Hitcho]

^ I've been preaching this for a couple of years now. The drop off in interest from first year to now is huge. I have tickets in the reds. In first year I had no trouble selling when I couldn't make a game. 2nd was a lot more difficult and this year I have to practically give them away...

So you pull a sickie at work and spend the day posting on RPB forums instead, eh? Noted, JP, noted... :D:D:D

There's definite drop off in interest, I've noticed that from posting my south end tickets on the ticket trader when I cannot make games, so the interest drop off even extends to SG type people as well (maybe because they can get tickets elsewhere more easily now?). I would love to know the scalper point of view on this in terms of what they made in season 1 and what they make now. Probably as good a gauge for demand as any. The one good thing about a drop in demand is that those bastards take it in the knackers! Although the risk is that they get to shift seats at relocation into lower priced areas, which actually makes the problem worse. They're like lice. :facepalm:

[Hitcho]

I know people in New Jersey who refuse to support any team that plays in New Jersey but calls itself "New York"...there's a pretty high level of resentment there, at least among some people.

Fair enough. If TFC were based in Hamilton but called Toronto would people be pissed off about it? Not sure if that's quite a fair comparison but serves to illustrate the point I guess.

[Super]

I personally love the fact that the interest in the city is disappearing. I don't think that it'll get to the point where we'll have a half-full stadium, but I do like the fact that TFC now has to win and play well to fill the stadium. That's a good thing for the quality of the product.

[Roogsy]

I personally love the fact that the interest in the city is disappearing. I don't think that it'll get to the point where we'll have a half-full stadium, but I do like the fact that TFC now has to win and play well to fill the stadium. That's a good thing for the quality of the product.


I'd have to agree. Unlike the Leafs, I want TFC and MLSE front office to WORK for the fan's loyalty, attention and dollars. That means putting a good product on the pitch and competing. Having owners that presume fan support is not good for the supporters.

[Batman]

I personally love the fact that the interest in the city is disappearing. I don't think that it'll get to the point where we'll have a half-full stadium, but I do like the fact that TFC now has to win and play well to fill the stadium. That's a good thing for the quality of the product.

great point. They now know they aren't the leafs. Too bad that the leafs ARE the leafs, but thats a different matter altogether.

[CretanBull]

Fair enough. If TFC were based in Hamilton but called Toronto would people be pissed off about it? Not sure if that's quite a fair comparison but serves to illustrate the point I guess.

I think that's a perfect example, but imagine if there were 3 teams in Hamilton called "Toronto"...

The Nets and the Devils are the only jersey based teams who don't try to pretend to represent New York.

[Hitcho]

How can Seattle get north of 100% capacity attendance? I mean, where are they putting the additional 600 fans or so beyond capacity that they seem to be getting on average each week?! Is this something to do with upper and lower bowls or are their crowd announcements for game days even more suspect than the BMO Field ones?!

Also, what happened in week 20 in 2007 to cause such a bump? Something Beckham related?

Ok, I'm shamelessly bumping my own post since no-one has chipped in with any suggestions. I want to know where Seattle are hiding the 600 extra people a week... :o

[pdogg]

I originally thought that maybe Seattle had opened up more seating for the home opener, and it has just averaged out that way, but now I don't think that MLSTalk has the right capacity numbers. I did a quick google search and came up with this:

http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/03/2010-mls-attendance-seattle-sounders-fc.html

They were above 35,500 every game, so apparently they can fit more people. Wikipedia says Qwest can fit between 35,700 to 67,000.

Or Seattle is just fudging the numbers... occam's razor says so :)

[Toronto Ruffrider]

Ok, I'm shamelessly bumping my own post since no-one has chipped in with any suggestions. I want to know where Seattle are hiding the 600 extra people a week... :o

Teams can easily draw more than 100% capacity. The official capacity of the ACC is 18,800 for Leafs games, but the Leafs typically draw 19,300. The difference usually consists of extra seats in private boxes, which are opened up when games are sold out.

[ensco]

Some of those numbers are wildly overstated. Watch any game at Chivas, Colorado, Dallas or NE. There aren't 5,000 at most of those games.

What's happening to the Revs is a tragedy. There are at least 3 good alternative stadiums in Boston proper, but the Krafts don't/won't care, given that they own that white elephant of a stadium that sits empty 340 days a year.

[Dub Narcotic]

A little disappointed in those numbers. The league 'feels' healthier now than a few years ago, but there are still a lot of dud franchises like Dallas, Colorado, Chivas USA, NER, etc... Sad news about DCU going down the drain, hopefully they can resolve the stadium situation.

[greatwhitenorf]

Have to assume that a diminished appetite for TFC tickets means we won't be seeing automatic price increases like each of the past seasons.

My group are already discussing letting go of some season tickets at the end of this year and it's the priciest ones that'll go first.

[james]

i knew the fan base would drop off a bit over the years, people were talking more about how we should add 10,000 more seats tp BMO making it a total ,30,000 seats i was saying that will never last in the long run and have lots of empty seats. Same with seattle, things will get tougher for them in a few years. However i do think Seattle and Toronto will have decent support, just not what they had in the ealy years.

[james]

Have to assume that a diminished appetite for TFC tickets means we won't be seeing automatic price increases like each of the past seasons.

My group are already discussing letting go of some season tickets at the end of this year and it's the priciest ones that'll go first.

the one thing i hate most is how we have to buy season tickets in the fall!! its to early and its hard to pay that much that early and over such a short period of time. I not sure if i can even afford to buy them again. I seriously think they should have more options...such as i believe the Hamilton Tiger Cats have it where they buy season tickets over like a 8 month period or something. Its a bit rediculous paying In October for a season that starts in April!

[james]

I found it interesting that the Galaxy/Red Bulls game on the weekend was the first time their new stadium was sold out......

its a shame, they got an amazing stadium and are really strugling to draw over 15,000 fans a game.