Major_League_Soccer_attendance

Major League Soccer attendance

Major League Soccer attendance

Attendance figures for Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada

Major League Soccer is the premier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Competition began in 1996 and attendance has grown rapidly since the early 2000s, making it one of the fastest-growing sports leagues in the world.[1] 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. Similar to Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, attendance is based on the number of tickets distributed.[2]

The Seattle Sounders' average attendance consistently exceeded 40,000 fans during the 2010s.

As of the 2023 regular season, average attendance is 22,111 per match—a league record. The league drew over 10 million spectators overall during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.[3] The previous average attendance record was 22,106, set in the 2017 season.[3] The largest standalone attendance for a single match—82,110 spectators—was set on July 4, 2023, at the Rose Bowl between the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC.[4] Atlanta United FC has the highest average attendance of any MLS team, at 47,526, and is followed by Charlotte FC and Seattle Sounders FC.[3]

2023 season

The following is a list of the average attendance during the 2023 regular season for each of the 29 MLS teams that were active in that season. It also includes the average attendance during the 2022 regular season, the percentage change in attendance from season-to-season, the home venue, the home venue's capacity, and the percent of the home venue's capacity filled by the 2023 season's average attendance. Percentages are adjusted to reflect any home games that were held at venues other than the team's usual stadium.[3]

More information Rank, Team ...
Notes

Some clubs have attendances over 100% capacity due to limited stadium capacity that is lifted during certain matches, when additional sections are opened. Other clubs use larger venues for certain matches that attract large attendances.

  1. One match played at the Rose Bowl (capacity 92,542).
  2. St. Louis City SC entered MLS in 2023.[3]
  3. New York City FC played home matches at several other venues in the New York metropolitan area.[5]
More information Key ...

Season averages

See also: Expansion of Major League Soccer
More information Season, Total attend­ance ...
More information Key ...

Notes:

  • Green shading indicates record highs; red shading indicates record lows.
  • The drop in number of games and total attendance 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.
  • Several seasons saw increases in total attendance, despite drops in average attendance. One such case was due to expansion of the regular-season schedule; all others were due to league expansion.
  • The 2020 and 2021 seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted many matches to zero spectators.

MLS Cup Playoffs attendance

More information Season, Total attend­ance ...
More information Key ...

Notes:

  • The format for the MLS Cup Playoffs has changed several times during its history, resulting in inconsistent numbers of matches played.
  • The 2020 playoffs were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted many matches to zero spectators. Only two matches were played in front of spectators, each with a maximum capacity of 1,500 people.

MLS attendance vs. other North American 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 that have average attendances of at least 10,000 spectators per game.

More information League, Sport ...
  1. Comparison is between the 2022 and 2019 seasons, the latter being the last to be completely unaffected by COVID-19 restrictions.
  2. Dual-season league; Apertura 2018 & Clausura 2019
  3. Comparison is between the 2022–23 and 2018–19 seasons, the latter being the last to be completely unaffected by COVID-19 restrictions.

MLS attendance vs. other soccer leagues worldwide

More information No., League ...

    Historic average attendances

    Current active teams

    More information Season, ATL ...

    Defunct teams

    More information Season, CHV ...

    Notes:

    • Bold indicates franchise record high for season average attendance.

    Individual game highest attendance

    See also: Record attendances in United States club soccer

    Regular season

    More information Rank, Home team ...

    MLS Cup Playoffs

    More information Rank, Home team ...

    By team

    More information Rank, Home team ...

    Doubleheader games highest attendance

    More information Rank, Home team ...

    MLS ranking among pro sports leagues average attendance by metro area

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

    Only attendances in MLS and the traditional major professional sports leagues of the U.S. and Canada are listed here. Not listed are college football teams, some of which outdraw some major professional teams.

    More information Metro area, MLS Attend Rank ...

    MLS, NFL, and MLB attendances are for their 2023 seasons. NBA and NHL attendances are for their 2022–23 seasons. CFL attendances are for their 2022 seasons.

    See also

    References

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