The National Women’s Soccer League officially surpassed one million fans for the 2023 season on Friday night. A matchup between Kansas City Current and Angel City FC was watching by 11,827 supporters in the stands. This fixture helped set a new record of overall league attendance for the league.
“Few metrics more clearly demonstrate the growing enthusiasm for our sport than our attendance figures and the numbers we’re currently seeing across the league are extraordinary,” stated NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman.
“Fans are turning out in droves to witness the talent, athleticism and passion of our remarkable players on the pitch, and this year’s record attendance is a testament to the excitement our great game has to offer week in and week out,” continued the commissioner.
“The future of women’s soccer is brighter than ever, and we look forward to welcoming the next million fans to the stands as we head into the final weeks of the 2023 season and the campaigns to come.”
NWSL clubs seeing huge surge in paid supporters and attendance records
The attendance record was broken thanks to 11 total matches registering more than 20,000 fans in attendance. This was nearly triple the mark from a year ago. NWSL clubs also recorded 42 games with at least 10,000 supporters in the stands. Teams previously combined for 22 matches with similar crowds during the 2022 season.
San Diego is currently on pace to break the league’s average attendance for a team. The Wave is averaging 20,194 fans each home game. If this rate continues, the club will surpass the previous record currently held by Portland. The Thorns averaged 20,098 supporters during the 2019 campaign.
League still has four more weeks of games to play
While the overall NWSL fan attendance statistics are truly impressive, the season is not over just yet. In fact, there are still four more weeks of matches remaining on the schedule. Clubs are currently averaging 9,913 fans per match in the 2023 season. If this pace holds up, the NWSL will smash their previous record of average attendance.
Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
