MLS Fire See 8% Attendance Drop Despite Late-Season Surge

The MLS Fire's regular season paid attendance at Toyota Park in '13 dropped 8% from '12 "to an average of 15,228 per game," according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS. The drop was "the third-largest percentage decrease in the 19-team league, behind only" Chivas USA and the Impact. Making up for "poor attendance figures early in the season ... proved to be too much to match last year's finish," which was 15% higher than the '11 season "at nearly 16,500 per game." Paid attendance "averaged nearly 18,000 over the final seven of the 17 games at Toyota Park this year, but the average for the first seven games was less than 13,000." The Fire said that season-ticket holders "remained flat this season at about 6,300." Ticketmaster data shows that actual attendance "dipped slightly on a percentage basis as well." Toyota Park officials said that average actual attendance "dropped to 68.4 percent of the paid total this year from 70 percent" in '12 (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 10/28).