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. The average attendance of 22,111[1] in 2023 was a 60% increase over the 13,756 average in 2000 (the lowest in MLS history). The total attendance of 10,900,804 in 2023 is almost five times that of 2,214,978 in 2002 (the lowest in MLS history). 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,[3] average attendance is 22,111 per match—a league record. The league drew over 10 million spectators overall during the 2022[4] and 2023 seasons. The previous average attendance record was 22,106, set in the 2017 season. 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.[5] 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.
- ^ "MLS set the single-season average attendance record at 22,111 fans per match". x.com. October 22, 2023.
- ^ Baxter, Kevin (October 29, 2016). "MLS math doesn't always add up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:13was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hernandez, Cesar (July 4, 2023). "LA Galaxy vs LAFC at Rose Bowl breaks MLS single-game attendance record". ESPN. Retrieved October 22, 2023.