MLS Attendances Update

MLS Attendances Update

16,770. That number is the 2007 league-wide attendance average for Major League Soccer.

(NHL’s league-wide average was 16,486, and NBA’s was 17,757 in their seasons ending in 2007.)

Here are the top five averages of all major pro soccer leagues’ most recent seasons completed.

German Bundesliga / 37,644

English Premiership / 34, 459

Spanish La Liga / 28,838

Mexican Clausura / 25,379

France’s Ligue 1 / 21, 817

Serie A / 19, 711

This is one indicator that shows how biased American reporters can be in their expectations for Major League Soccer.  No one should be expecting our league to have attendance as high as these long-established foreign leagues, and yet, we are already not too far away.  When Serie A has an average of just over 19,000, how can anyone rightfully say that MLS attendances are too low, or that MLS isn’t popular ?

Critics must compare our league more fairly, and acknowledge the growth, as well.

Above data from MVN Soccer, an update written by Ric Schenck, San Diego MLS Project founder.   

This is from the MVN.com featured story "MLS Attendances Up in 2008..."

If you'd like the exact source link for the full story, that is: http://mvn.com/soccer/2008/04/16/mls-attendances-up-in-2008-league-average-could-top-nba-this-season/

16,770. That number is the 2007 league-wide attendance average for Major League Soccer.

(NHL’s league-wide average was 16,486, and NBA’s was 17,757 in their seasons ending in 2007.)

Here are the top five averages of all major pro soccer leagues’ most recent seasons completed.

German Bundesliga / 37,644

English Premiership / 34, 459

Spanish La Liga / 28,838

Mexican Clausura / 25,379

France’s Ligue 1 / 21, 817

Serie A / 19, 711

This is one indicator that shows how biased American reporters can be in their expectations for Major League Soccer.  No one should be expecting our league to have attendance as high as these long-established foreign leagues, and yet, we are already not too far away.  When Serie A has an average of just over 19,000, how can anyone rightfully say that MLS attendances are too low, or that MLS isn’t popular ?

Critics must compare our league more fairly, and acknowledge the growth, as well.

Above data from MVN Soccer, an update written by Ric Schenck, San Diego MLS Project founder.   

This is from the MVN.com featured story "MLS Attendances Up in 2008..."

If you'd like the exact source link for the full story, that is: http://mvn.com/soccer/2008/04/16/mls-attendances-up-in-2008-league-average-could-top-nba-this-season/