For the first 45 games of the 2017 MLS season, the average attendance is virtually even with 2016 despite lots of empty seats at many MLS stadiums, particularly from this past weekend.
For gameweek 5, Chicago, Columbus, DC United, Houston and Minnesota reported disappointing attendances. New York City FC’s number could also be seen as soft as the club, for the second game in a row, reported a relative mediocre attendance considering they’re based in a city with a population of 8.4 million.
The biggest surprise for gameweek 5 was the attendance of 17,728 for Minnesota United’s game after their inaugural game drew over 35,000.
For gameweek 4 during the World Cup qualifiers, there were three MLS games played (three too many for my taste). Those attendances that weekend had the two lowest reported attendances of the season to date.
Here are the reported attendances for MLS gameweek 5:
| Franchise | Attendance |
|---|---|
| Chicago | 15,103 |
| Columbus | 12,226 |
| DC United | 14,560 |
| Houston | 17,914 |
| Minnesota | 17,728 |
| NYCFC | 20,066 |
| Portland | 21,144 |
| Seattle | 40,182 |
| Toronto | 27,909 |
| Vancouver | 25,083 |
Here is the 2017 MLS attendance report through gameweek 5:
| MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | |||
| Att | Att | Att +/- | GP | |
| Atlanta | NA | 50,610 | NA | 2 |
| Seattle | 39,769 | 42,891 | 7.85% | 2 |
| Montreal | 27,545 | 34,373 | 24.79% | 1 |
| Toronto | 30,025 | 27,909 | -7.05% | 1 |
| Minnesota | NA | 26,386 | NA | 2 |
| Orlando | 44,594 | 25,527 | -42.76 | 2 |
| LA Galaxy | 25,667 | 22,268 | -13.24 | 2 |
| Vancouver | 23,759 | 21,535 | -9.36% | 3 |
| Portland | 21,144 | 21,144 | 0.00% | 3 |
| NYCFC | 26,112 | 20,947 | -19.78 | 3 |
| Salt Lake | 19,253 | 19,934 | 3.53% | 2 |
| Sporting KC | 20,023 | 19,200 | -4.11% | 2 |
| Houston | 21,390 | 18,386 | -14.04 | 3 |
| San Jose | 18,000 | 18,000 | 0.00% | 2 |
| Red Bulls | 18,235 | 17,794 | -2.42% | 2 |
| Philadelphia Union | 17,027 | 16,795 | -1.36% | 1 |
| FC Dallas | 14,248 | 16,150 | 13.35% | 1 |
| D.C. United | 14,541 | 15,620 | 7.42% | 3 |
| Colorado | 14,123 | 15,070 | 6.70% | 2 |
| Chicago | 15,187 | 14,064 | -7.39% | 2 |
| Columbus | 17,145 | 12,772 | -25.51% | 3 |
| NE Revs | 16,102 | 11,571 | -28.14% | 1 |
