Analyzing MLS Average Attendances For 2010-2014; Updated After Gameweek 31

Editor’s note: One of the most popular features of one of our previous incarnations of this website was the series of articles about MLS attendances written by Peter C of Overlapping Run. Peter graciously agreed to allow us to publish his research into attendances in this article.

Average MLS Attendances For Week 31 (5-year comparison):

Comparisons of Average MLS Attendances YTD From 2010 to 2014:

Average Attendances for MLS Clubs; 2014 vs 2013 Comparison:

Compared to gameweek 30, the biggest movers and shakers in the MLS attendances for gameweek 31 were Seattle (55,765 against Vancouver) and Dallas (19,039). The biggest loser was Chivas USA (5,033 against LA Galaxy).

For my 2013 calculations, I took the 1 remaining team playing in a football stadium, New England in Foxboro, and assigned maximum capacity to 22,500. For DC United at RFK Stadium, I set a max at 19,647. I took the 22,500 from an approximate average of the soccer specific stadiums in use. Capacities are adjusted for the few games that are played in larger venues.

Additional note: Over the years, several stadiums’ capacities have been reported with different numbers. If any of you have the accurate soccer capacity for stadiums that differ from mine, please let me know in the comments section below. Also, capacity at CenturyLink in Seattle is a moving target.