Now that the 2015 Major League Soccer regular season has been completed, we can report that the average attendance in 2015 was 21,574, which is a 12.8% increase compared to last season.

The increase can be attributed to several factors:

1. The contraction of Chivas USA, which drew an average of 7,063 fans last season,
2. Expansion of BMO Field in Toronto, adding approximately 7,500 seats,
3. The new Avaya Stadium in San Jose added 7,500 capacity compared to Buck Shaw Stadium, where the Earthquakes played season season, and
4. Most importantly, the expansion teams Orlando City SC and New York City FC who finished second and third in attendance after drawing impressive numbers throughout the entire season.

For this past week, the average attendance was over 24,000 which was helped by final games of the MLS season that had real meaning at most venues.

Week 34 attendances
Chicago 19,850
Columbus 19,121
Dallas 16,937
Kansas City 18,897
Kansas City 19,422
Montreal 20,801
NYCFC 34,150
Philadelphia 17,309
Portland 21,144
Seattle 55,435
Vancouver 21,000

For the 2015 MLS regular season, the clubs that had the most improved attendance records (based on percentage growth) were:

1. San Jose, 40% increase
2. New England Revolution, 17%
3. LA Galaxy, 10%
4. Toronto, 6%
5. Colorado, 3%

Conversely, the teams that had the biggest percentage decrease in attendances for the 2015 season compared to last year were:

1. FC Dallas, -4%
2. DC United, -4%
3. Sporting Kansas City, -1%
4. Philadelphia Union, -1%
5. Real Salt Lake, -0.94%

MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games              
  2014   2015        
  Att Cap Att Att +/- GP % of Cap Cap
Seattle 43,734 43,426 44,247 1.17% 17 89.98% 45,012
Orlando NA NA 32,847 NA 17 100.19% 32,785
NYCFC NA NA 29,016 NA 17 98.67% 29,407
Toronto 22,086 22,591 23,439 6.13% 17 75.63% 30,991
LA Galaxy 21,258 27,000 23,392 10.04% 17 86.64% 27,000
Portland 20,768 20,674 21,144 1.81% 17 100.00% 21,144
San Jose 14,947 16,407 20,979 40.36% 17 87.84% 23,882
Houston 20,117 22,039 20,658 2.69% 17 93.73% 22,039
Vancouver 20,408 21,000 20,507 0.48% 17 97.65% 21,000
Salt Lake 20,351 20,138 20,160 -0.94% 17 100.11% 20,138
Sporting KC 20,003 18,467 19,687 -1.58% 17 106.61% 18,467
Red Bulls 19,421 25,189 19,657 1.22% 17 78.04% 25,189
NE Revs 16,681 22,500 19,627 17.66% 17 87.23% 22,500
Montreal 17,421 27,340 17,750 1.89% 17 71.37% 22,674
Philadelphia 17,631 18,500 17,451 -1.02% 17 94.33% 18,500
Columbus 15,943 20,145 16,513 3.57% 17 82.70% 19,968
D.C. United 17,030 23,491 16,244 -4.61% 17 82.68% 19,647
FC Dallas 16,816 20,500 16,013 -4.78% 17 78.11% 20,500
Chicago 16,076 20,000 16,003 -0.46% 17 80.01% 20,000
Colorado 15,082 17,424 15,657 3.82% 17 89.86% 17,424