Neha Patil (Editor)

Major League Soccer attendance

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Major League Soccer attendance

Major League Soccer is the premier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Competition began in 1996, the 2016 season saw an average 21,692 spectators between the 20 teams, the highest average attendance in league history. MLS has the third-highest average attendance among all professional sports leagues with teams in the United States, ranking behind the National Football League and Major League Baseball but ahead of the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League. Among all North American professional sports leagues, MLS ranks fifth in average attendance per game behind the NFL and MLB as well as Liga MX and the Canadian Football League.

Contents

MLS attendance has grown since the early 2000s. The average attendance of 21,692 in 2016 was a 57% increase over the 13,756 average in 2000. The total attendance of 7,375,144 in 2016 is more than triple the 2,215,019 total of 2002.

2016 season

The following is a list of the average attendance for each of the twenty MLS teams at their regular-season games. It includes the team, the average attendance for the 2016 regular season and the 2015 regular season, the percentage change in attendance from season-to-season, the home venue, the home venue's capacity, and the percent of capacity.

Note: Vancouver's and Seattle's attendances are both over 100% capacity because, for select games, they open up additional sections above the regular limited capacity. Orlando's and New England's attendances are over 100% because their capacities are artificial; both teams regularly sell more tickets than the limit. San Jose's attendance is over 100% capacity because they played one game at Levi's Stadium (68,000 capacity).

Season averages

Notes:

  • Green shading indicates record highs; red shading indicates record lows.
  • The drop in number of games and total gate from 2000 to 2002, and the corresponding increase in average attendance, is attributable to league contraction, when MLS folded the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.
  • The attendance increase from 2006 to 2007 coincides with the arrival of David Beckham, and the addition of an expansion franchise in Toronto.
  • The attendance increase from 2014 to 2015 coincides with the addition of expansion franchises in Orlando and New York City, the contraction of Chivas USA, and San Jose moving into a new stadium.

    • MLS attendance vs. other North American professional leagues

    The following table compares the Major League Soccer regular season average attendance against the regular season average attendance for the other professional sports leagues in North America with average attendances of at least 10,000 spectators per game.

    Historic average attendances

    Notes:

  • Bold indicates franchise record high for season average attendance. Italics indicates defunct team.

    • Individual game highest attendance

    Regular season

    MLS Cup playoffs

    MLS Attendance Rank By City / Metro Area

    The table is sorted by MLS attendance rank, and then by MLS attendance.

    MLS attendance is for the 2015 season.

    References

    Major League Soccer attendance Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA