Special Report
Sports Teams Running Out of Fans
Published:
Last Updated:
This week, the Rams franchise of the National Football League (NFL) announced it would end more than two decades in St. Louis and return to its former home in Los Angeles. The team’s poor performance and consequential subpar attendance are likely the biggest reason owner Stan Kroenke is moving his team — L.A. has close to five times the number of potential fans that can fill the seats.
A team that loses nearly 70% of its games over a decade might be able to survive in a more lucrative market such as Los Angeles. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed professional sports teams that have experienced the largest attendance declines over the past decade. The Rams made the list, with attendance down 13.8% since 2004. So did teams like the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Detroit Pistons, which lost more than 30% of its attending fanbase over a decade.
Fans stop attending games for several reasons, notably a flagging economy, which might lower the disposable income of a fanbase and prevent them from shelling out for season tickets. Overwhelmingly, however, it is the team’s record — teams that fail to win games also often fail to fill seats. People want to see their team win, not lose. Fans flocked to games in the 1990s and early 2000s when the Rams were the Greatest Show on Turf, and not during the five year period from 2007 through 2011 when the franchise won only 15 games in five seasons.
Click here to see the sports teams running out of fans.
The Ram’s attendance record is actually favorable compared to some of the teams on this list. As of the most recent completed regular season, the Rams filled an average of only 80.2% of seats at home. While that was by far the worst in the NFL, it was certainly not the worst in sports. Teams such as Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Cleveland Indians barely filled 40% of their seats on average last year. Of the 14 teams to make this list, 11 filled an average of less than 75% of seats in the most recent completed season.
All of the teams on this list have performed poorly in recent seasons, and some have not seen consistent success in well over a decade. Most of the teams on this list that have been losing for some time also happen to have large debt. This is also a vicious cycle: a lack of attendance results in a lack of revenue, which means teams struggle to afford a team that can compete.
This is the case with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Florida Panthers, a team that has been to the playoffs just once in 15 seasons. The Panthers recently recorded the lowest attendance in franchise history, filling about 1,700 seats at the roughly 17,000-capacity BB&T Center. According to Forbes, the Panthers have the third highest debt relative to team value in the NHL, and recorded an operating loss of $20.2 million, the worst in hockey.
Some of the teams on this list likely had such high declines over the past 10 years because, like the Rams, they were coming off recent championship wins or were reaching the end of a successful dynasty. For example, 10 years ago, the Detroit Pistons had just won a championship and had the highest average attendance as a result of their success. Detroit filled just 69.2% of its seats in 2015 on average, the second worst attendance rate in the NBA after only the 76ers, which also made this list.
To determine which teams lost the most fans, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 10-year percentage changes in attendance at regular-season home games in NHL hockey, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, and NFL football. In the case of the NHL, NBA, and, MLB, attendance figures are from ESPN, and are as of the most recent completed season. Due to a lockout during the NHL season of 2004-2005, the 2003-2004 season was used as the benchmark in the case of hockey. NFL attendance figures were provided by Forbes, and are as of the 2014 season. To avoid attendance declines based on a reduction in stadium capacity, franchises that built a new facility or moved to a new city in the intervening years were excluded. The average percentage of capacity filled during home games in a season for all four sports also came from ESPN, and is as of the most recent completed regular season unless otherwise specified.
14. St. Louis Rams
> Sport: Football
> 10 year attendance decline: 13.8%
> Avg. home game attendance: 52,402
> Avg. capacity filled: 80.2%
In 1995, the Rams franchise moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis, with the promise of a new domed stadium and a new market. The subsequent two decades have had their ups and downs for the St. Louis Rams. At the end of the 1999 season, the franchise won its first ever Super Bowl behind the arm of quarterback Kurt Warner. That year would mark the first of three seasons of the Greatest Show on Turf, so nicknamed for the dominant Rams offense. However, the Rams have not performed nearly as well since. The team has not made the playoffs in more than a decade. The last time the team won more games during the regular season than it lost was 2003. Attendance for the team has been, expectedly, very poor. According to ESPN, the team barely filled 80% of its seats for an average of just 50,402 fans at home games in 2015, each the worst in the NFL. This season turned out to be the last for the Rams in St. Louis. The franchise jumped at the chance to return to L.A. and NFL owners voted to finalize the move on January 12.
13. San Diego Padres
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 14.3%
> Avg. home game attendance: 30,367
> Avg. capacity filled: 71.1%
Since they entered the MLB in 1969, the San Diego Padres may have been one of the least successful teams in baseball, with the exception of only a handful of seasons. Since their inaugural season, the team’s record has been good enough to make the postseason only five times. The Padres won a grand total of a single playoff game since they were swept by the Yankees in the 1998 World Series. Last year, the team recorded an average attendance of 5,000 fewer fans at home games compared to 2005.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
> Sport: Basketball
> 10 year attendance decline: 15.4%
> Avg. home game attendance: 14,528
> Avg. capacity filled: 75.1%
The Minnesota Timberwolves experienced an eight-year playoff streak, culminating in a conference finals loss to the Lakers to end their 2003-2004 season. Outside of those eight years, the franchise has not played basketball in the postseason since it entered the league as an expansion team in 1989. More than a decade of not making the playoffs has taken its toll on the team’s attendance. The team had the second lowest turnout in the NBA last season, with an average attendance of just 14,528 fans. Target Center — the team’s home arena — has a capacity of 19,356. It does not look like the team’s fortunes will change any time soon. As of mid January, the team’s 12-28 record was the fourth worst record in the NBA.
11. Oakland Athletics
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 16.2%
> Avg. home game attendance: 21,829
> Avg. capacity filled: 62.3%
Attendance at Oakland home games dropped 16.2% from an average of 26,038 fans in 2005 to 21,829 in 2015. Like many teams on this list, the Oakland Athletics’ fan attendance declined in tandem with the team’s winning percentage. In 2005, the team finished second in its division with a 54% winning record. In the 10 seasons since, the Athletics managed to top their 2005 winning percentage only three times, finishing 2015 last in the American League with a 42% winning record. Better performance on the field in 2016 may translate better home game attendance. As recently as 2014, the Athletics made it to the playoffs and had their highest average attendance since 2008.
10. Denver Nuggets
> Sport: Basketball
> 10 year attendance decline: 16.7%
> Avg. home game attendance: 14,700
> Avg. capacity filled: 76.7%
For 10 straight seasons ending in 2013, the Denver Nuggets managed to make the postseason every single year. At the end of the 2008-2009 season, the team advanced all the way to the conference finals, losing to the L.A. Lakers in six games. In each of the next four years, the team made it to the first round of the playoffs but did not advance. The following two years were major disappointments, with the Nuggets losing far more games than winning. This year, the team is off to a poor start, with a 0.385 win-loss record as of mid-January. Attendance has fallen accordingly. Last year, the team averaged just 14,700 fans in attendance during games at the 19,155 capacity Pepsi Center. In a recent interview, Coach Michael Malone said of the team’s efforts to recover from poor performance and attendance: “It’s up to us. The fans aren’t going to give it to us. We don’t have a home-court advantage.”
24/7 Wall St.9. Seattle Mariners
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 19.5%
> Avg. home game attendance: 27,081
> Avg. capacity filled: 56.6%
The Seattle Mariners have had some exciting players that drew fans to home games, including Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1990s and Ichiro Suzuki in the 2000s. On the whole, however, the team has for the most part failed to put itself in a position to find success at the highest level. The team made the postseason a total of four times in 39 seasons, and the last time the team played in October was in 2001. Attendance has hurt as result. Compared to 10 years ago, there were over 6,500 fewer fans attending Mariners games at Safeco Field, a decline from 70.4% capacity to just 56.6%.
8. Atlanta Braves
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 20.6%
> Avg. home game attendance: 25,017
> Avg. capacity filled: 50.3%
The Atlanta Braves are just one of several MLB teams with a rapidly dwindling fan base. Home game attendance declined from an average of 31,514 fans in 2005 to only 25,017 in in 2015, a more than 20% decrease. While attendance records across all professional sports leagues may suggest waning interest in baseball, the Atlanta Braves’ uniquely precipitous drop is likely due to the team’s poor performance in recent years. The Braves started out the decade with their 14th consecutive division title win, a record high among MLB teams. However, after poor performance in subsequent years, the Braves rounded out the 2015 season with a 41% win record, one of the worst in baseball.
7. Philadelphia 76ers
> Sport: Basketball
> 10 year attendance decline: 22.0%
> Avg. home game attendance: 13,940
> Avg. capacity filled: 68.6%
Attendance has dropped at 76ers home games by more than 20% over the last 10 years, and unless Philadelphia basketball fans enjoy disappointment, there is a good reason for that. The 76ers’ record has gotten worse every season since they last made the playoffs in 2012. The team currently has far and away the worst record in the NBA, with only four wins and 36 losses. The team currently plays at the Wells Fargo Center, which has a seating capacity of just over 20,000. However, in the most recent season, average game attendance fell just shy of 14,000 fans.
6. Houston Astros
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 23.2%
> Avg. home game attendance: 26,587
> Avg. capacity filled: 64.9%
Over the last 11 MLB seasons, the Houston Astros only made it to the playoffs twice, once in 2005 and again in 2015. In the years between, the team had some abysmal seasons. In the three consecutive years through 2013, the Astros had more losses than any other team in the league. While attendance was relatively strong in the 2005 season leading up to the team’s playoff appearance, another strong showing in 2015 was not enough to win back many of the fans that witnessed the Astros’ losing streak. While 2005 attendance averaged 34,626 per home game, a relatively sparse 26,587 made it to home games 10 years later, a more than 23% drop.
5. Chicago White Sox
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 24.1%
> Avg. home game attendance: 21,947
> Avg. capacity filled: 54.0%
The Chicago White Sox were less popular than their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs, in 2005, and the still are to an even greater degree today. Few teams in professional sports had a larger decline in home game attendance over the past decade then the White Sox. In 2005, an average of 28,923 fans showed up per game. In the 2015 season, attendance was down to an average of 21,947 per home game. Meanwhile, the Cubs had roughly 10,000 more fans per game in 2005 and an average of nearly 15,000 more in 2015. As with most teams with rapidly shrinking fan bases, the White Sox’s poor overall record may explain the waning enthusiasm. Since their 2005 playoff appearance, the Sox only made it back to the playoffs once. Additionally, the team had a losing record in four of its last five seasons.
4. Cleveland Indians
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 28.4%
> Avg. home game attendance: 17,806
> Avg. capacity filled: 41.0%
More MLB teams are facing sharp declines in home game attendance than any other major professional sport. With the exception of the Philadelphia Phillies, no professional baseball team had a steeper drop in attendance than the Cleveland Indians. In the 10 seasons from 2005 to 2015, home game attendance declined by 28.4% for the Cleveland Indians. Over the same time period, the team made the playoffs only twice, and the Indians ended five seasons with more losses than wins. Though ticket sales tend to have a direct relationship with wins, attendance at Cleveland home games has gone down every year since 2011, including in 2013 when the Indians made it to the postseason.
3. Florida Panthers
> Sport: Hockey
> 10 year attendance decline: 29.3%
> Avg. home game attendance: 11,265
> Avg. capacity filled: 66.1%
The Florida Panthers play in the 17,040 capacity BB&T Center. Unfortunately, they have had increasing difficulty filling those seats in recent years. Home game attendance dropped to an average of 11,265 fans in the 2015 season, a 29.3% decrease since the 2003-2004 season when an average of 15,936 fans showed up to games. Notably, the team installed a curtain over upper level arena seats, reducing the capacity to 15,720. Poor performance on the ice may be driving down home game ticket sales as the team has only made it to the playoffs once since the 1999-2000 season. However, if a lack of wins explains waning hometown enthusiasm, fortunes may be changing for the Panthers. This season, as of mid-January, the Panthers lead the Atlantic division with 56 points.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
> Sport: Baseball
> 10 year attendance decline: 29.5%
> Avg. home game attendance: 23,475
> Avg. capacity filled: 53.8%
The Phillies are one of two professional teams in the City of Brotherly Love that have lost more than a fifth of their fans over the last decade. Faring even worse than the 76ers, attendance at Phillies home games has gone down by nearly 30% over the last 10 years, the second most precipitous drop in professional sports. Home game attendance has not been dropping steadily, however. In fact, total attendance went up every year from 2005 to 2010, reaching a peak of nearly 3.8 million in 2010 after two consecutive World Series appearances. Since then, attendance has dropped each year, bottoming out last season with total home game attendance of only 1.8 million.
1. Detroit Pistons
> Sport: Basketball
> 10 year attendance decline: 30.8%
> Avg. home game attendance: 15,266
> Avg. capacity filled: 69.2%
No single professional team in the big four sports leagues has had a bigger drop in fan attendance in just 10 years than the Detroit Pistons. During the 2004-2005 season, Detroit was coming off an excellent year culminating in a five-game championship win over the Lakers. The team filled its home arena — The Palace of Auburn Hills — 22,076 capacity every game that season, which was the highest average attendance in the NBA that year. Just 10 years later, the average attendance of a Pistons home game was just 15,266, the fifth lowest average attendance that year among NBA teams and less than 70% of stadium capacity. Only one other team — the abysmal 76ers — had a lower average share of seats filled than Detroit. The attendance drop may be due in part to the team’s current seven-year playoff drought, the longest in the team’s career.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
