MLS average attendances increase 13% in 2015

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