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SBD/Issue 32/The Back of the Book
MLS Attendance Down 2.6% For '09; Sounders FC Set Franchise Record
Published October 27, 2009
MLS averaged 16,037 fans per game during the '09 regular season, down 2.6% from 16,460 fans per game a year ago, despite the expansion Sounders FC finishing out their inaugural season with the highest average attendance in league's history. The Sounders' attendance buoyed a league that had only four of 15 franchises see attendance gains at home. Five MLS clubs saw double-digit declines in '09, with the Revolution seeing the sharpest drop, down 21.9% at Gillette Stadium. With the Red Bulls set to open their new venue next season, the club saw average attendance down 21.6% at Giants Stadium this season. The Galaxy once again led all teams in road attendance at 19,896, but with MF David Beckham not joining the team until mid-July, that number was off from last season's 28,132. The Dynamo had MLS' lowest road attendance this season at 14,160. Listed below is average home attendance for all MLS teams in '09, with comparison to the '08 season (THE DAILY).
|
'09 MLS REGULAR SEASON ATTENDANCE
|
|||||||
|
TEAM
|
GMS
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
% CAP.
|
PREV.
|
% +/-
|
GMS ('08)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sounders FC
|
15
|
463,455
|
30,897
|
102.3%
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Galaxy
|
15
|
306,240
|
20,416
|
75.6%
|
26,009
|
-21.5%
|
15
|
|
Toronto FC
|
15
|
305,167
|
20,344
|
101.7%
|
20,120
|
1.1%
|
15
|
| Dynamo |
15
|
255,712
|
17,047
|
53.3%
|
16,939
|
0.6%
|
15
|
| Real Salt Lake (a) |
15
|
245,628
|
16,375
|
81.8%
|
16,179
|
1.2%
|
15
|
| DC United |
15
|
241,322
|
16,088
|
34.5%
|
19,835
|
-18.9%
|
15
|
| Chivas USA |
15
|
226,375
|
15,092
|
55.9%
|
15,114
|
-0.1%
|
15
|
| Fire |
15
|
220,331
|
14,689
|
73.4%
|
17,034
|
-13.8%
|
15
|
| Crew |
15
|
216,699
|
14,447
|
71.7%
|
14,622
|
-1.2%
|
15
|
| Earthquakes (b) |
15
|
211,717
|
14,114
|
75.0%
|
13,713
|
2.9%
|
15
|
| Revolution |
15
|
205,977
|
13,732
|
68.7%
|
17,580
|
-21.9%
|
15
|
| Red Bulls |
15
|
187,359
|
12,491
|
47.1%
|
15,928
|
-21.6%
|
15
|
| FC Dallas |
15
|
186,612
|
12,441
|
50.6%
|
13,024
|
-4.5%
|
15
|
| Rapids |
15
|
184,963
|
12,331
|
68.2%
|
13,659
|
-9.7%
|
15
|
| Wizards |
15
|
150,802
|
10,053
|
96.8%
|
10,686
|
-5.9%
|
15
|
| MLS TOTALS |
225
|
3,608,359
|
16,037
|
66.6%
|
16,460
|
-2.6%
|
210
|
NOTES: (a) = Home games played at both Rice-Eccles Stadium and Rio Tinto Stadium in '08. (b) = Includes two designated Earthquakes home games played at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (posted attendance of 15,862 and 17,128), as well as a game against the Crew at Candlestick Park on August 8 which was part of a doubleheader featuring FC Barcelona and Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara (posted attendance 61,572).
