MLS average attendances increase 13% in 2015
Now that the 2015 Major League Soccer regular season has been completed, we can report that the average attendances increased by 12.8% in 2015 compared to last season. The increase can be attributed to several factors: 1. The contraction of Chivas USA, which drew an average of 7,063 fans last […]
Now that the 2015 Major League Soccer regular season has been completed, we can report that the average attendances increased by 12.8% in 2015 compared to last season.
The increase can be attributed to several factors:
1. The contraction of Chivas USA, which drew an average of 7,063 fans last season,
2. Expansion of BMO Field in Toronto, adding approximately 7,500 seats,
3. The new Avaya Stadium in San Jose added 7,500 capacity compared to Buck Shaw Stadium, where the Earthquakes played season season, and
4. Most importantly, the expansion teams Orlando City SC and New York City FC who finished second and third in attendance after drawing impressive numbers throughout the entire season.
For this past week, the average attendance was over 24,000 which was helped by final games of the MLS season that had real meaning at most venues.
| Week 34 attendances | |
|---|---|
| Chicago | 19,850 |
| Columbus | 19,121 |
| Dallas | 16,937 |
| Kansas City | 18,897 |
| Kansas City | 19,422 |
| Montreal | 20,801 |
| NYCFC | 34,150 |
| Philadelphia | 17,309 |
| Portland | 21,144 |
| Seattle | 55,435 |
| Vancouver | 21,000 |
For the 2015 MLS regular season, the clubs that had the most improved attendance records (based on percentage growth) were:
1. San Jose, 40% increase
2. New England Revolution, 17%
3. LA Galaxy, 10%
4. Toronto, 6%
5. Colorado, 3%
Conversely, the teams that had the biggest percentage decrease in attendances for the 2015 season compared to last year were:
1. FC Dallas, -4%
2. DC United, -4%
3. Sporting Kansas City, -1%
4. Philadelphia Union, -1%
5. Real Salt Lake, -0.94%
| MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2015 | ||||||
| Att | Cap | Att | Att +/- | GP | % of Cap | Cap | |
| Seattle | 43,734 | 43,426 | 44,247 | 1.17% | 17 | 89.98% | 45,012 |
| Orlando | NA | NA | 32,847 | NA | 17 | 100.19% | 32,785 |
| NYCFC | NA | NA | 29,016 | NA | 17 | 98.67% | 29,407 |
| Toronto | 22,086 | 22,591 | 23,439 | 6.13% | 17 | 75.63% | 30,991 |
| LA Galaxy | 21,258 | 27,000 | 23,392 | 10.04% | 17 | 86.64% | 27,000 |
| Portland | 20,768 | 20,674 | 21,144 | 1.81% | 17 | 100.00% | 21,144 |
| San Jose | 14,947 | 16,407 | 20,979 | 40.36% | 17 | 87.84% | 23,882 |
| Houston | 20,117 | 22,039 | 20,658 | 2.69% | 17 | 93.73% | 22,039 |
| Vancouver | 20,408 | 21,000 | 20,507 | 0.48% | 17 | 97.65% | 21,000 |
| Salt Lake | 20,351 | 20,138 | 20,160 | -0.94% | 17 | 100.11% | 20,138 |
| Sporting KC | 20,003 | 18,467 | 19,687 | -1.58% | 17 | 106.61% | 18,467 |
| Red Bulls | 19,421 | 25,189 | 19,657 | 1.22% | 17 | 78.04% | 25,189 |
| NE Revs | 16,681 | 22,500 | 19,627 | 17.66% | 17 | 87.23% | 22,500 |
| Montreal | 17,421 | 27,340 | 17,750 | 1.89% | 17 | 71.37% | 22,674 |
| Philadelphia | 17,631 | 18,500 | 17,451 | -1.02% | 17 | 94.33% | 18,500 |
| Columbus | 15,943 | 20,145 | 16,513 | 3.57% | 17 | 82.70% | 19,968 |
| D.C. United | 17,030 | 23,491 | 16,244 | -4.61% | 17 | 82.68% | 19,647 |
| FC Dallas | 16,816 | 20,500 | 16,013 | -4.78% | 17 | 78.11% | 20,500 |
| Chicago | 16,076 | 20,000 | 16,003 | -0.46% | 17 | 80.01% | 20,000 |
| Colorado | 15,082 | 17,424 | 15,657 | 3.82% | 17 | 89.86% | 17,424 |
