Seattle breaks MLS attendance record for fifth year in a row

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Oct 29, 2013

By Paul Kennedy

The Seattle Sounders set an MLS attendance record for the fifth year in a row as they averaged 44,038 fans a game at CenturyLink Field. That's higher than any MLB team averaged in 2013 except the Los Angeles Dodgers, who averaged 46,216, and more than double the Seattle Mariners averaged.

The Sounders' average was also more than double any other MLS team. Four other teams averaged 20,000 or more.

MLS averaged 18,594 fans a game in 2013, down 1.1 percent from its record average of 18,807 in 2012, though for the second year in a row total attendance topped 6 million.

The Sounders were one of 11 teams that enjoyed an increase in average attendance. The Columbus Crew, which was sold in mid-season, had the highest percentage increase (12 percent). Other notable increases were enjoyed by FC Dallas (8 percent), New York (6 percent) and New England (6 percent). FC Dallas has increased average attendance by 56 percent over the last four seasons.

On the other hand, attendance at troubled Chivas USA plummeted 36 percent to 8,366 fans a game, the lowest season average in MLS in a decade. Montreal was the only other team to experience a double-digit drop in average attendance (10 percent). The Impact played five games at Olympic Stadium in its inaugural season while Stade de Saputo was being finished. It only played two games at Olympic Stadium in 2013.

Other teams to suffer drops in average attendance included Chicago (7 percent), who averaged the fewest fans of any team playing in its own soccer-specific stadium, and Los Angeles (6 percent), which was playing its first season since 2006 without David Beckham.

2013 MLS Attendance:
AVG. TEAM (+/-)
44,038 Seattle (+2%)
21,770 LA Galaxy (-6%)
20,674 Portland (+1%)
20,603 Montreal (-10%)
20,097 Vancouver (+3%)
19,923 Houston (-5%)
19,709 Sporting KC (+2%)
19,461 New York (+6%)
19,218 Real Salt Lake (+1%)
18,131 Toronto FC (+.08%)
17,867 Philadelphia (-4%)
16,080 Columbus (+12%)
15,499 Colorado (+2%)
15,373 FC Dallas (+8%)
15,228 Chicago (-7%)
14,844 New England (+6%)
13,646 D.C. United (-1%)
12,765 San Jose (-4%)
8,366 Chivas USA (-36%)
18,594 LEAGUE (-1.1%)

Highest MLS Attendance:
AVG. TEAM (+/-)
44,038 Seattle (2013)
43,144 Seattle (2012)
38,496 Seattle (2011)
36,173 Seattle (2010)
30,897 Seattle (2009)
28,916 Los Angeles (1996)
26,009 Los Angeles (2008)
24,252 Los Angeles (2007)
24,204 Los Angeles (2005)
23,898 MetroStars (1996)

Lowest MLS Attendance:
AVG. TEAM (+/-)
7,460 Miami (2000)
7,906 Dallas (2003)
8,072 Kansas City (1998)
8,183 Kansas City (1999)
8,336 Chivas USA (2013)
8,689 Miami (1999)
9,058 Kansas City (1997)
9,088 Dallas (2004)
9,112 Kansas City (2000)
9,635 San Jose (2010)

MLS Attendance
YEAR - AVG.
1996 - 17,406
1997 - 14,603
1998 - 14,312
1999 - 14,282
2000 - 13,756
2001 - 14,961
2002 - 15,821
2003 - 14,898
2004 - 15,559
2005 - 15,108
2006 - 15,504
2007 - 16,770
2008 - 16,460
2009 - 16,037
2010 - 16,675
2011 - 17,872
2012 - 18,807
2013 - 18,594
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