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]
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]
- ^ Poli, Raffaele; Ravenel, Loïc; Besson, Roger (April 2019). "Attendances in football stadia (2003–2018)". CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report (44). International Centre for Sports Studies. OCLC 913225195. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ Baxter, Kevin (October 29, 2016). "MLS math doesn't always add up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ a b c Kennedy, Paul (October 22, 2023). "MLS breaks attendance record". Soccer America. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Hernandez, Cesar (July 4, 2023). "LA Galaxy vs LAFC at Rose Bowl breaks MLS single-game attendance record". ESPN. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
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