NEW YORK – The Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays drew a total of 12,653 spectators Wednesday night – and they weren’t playing each other.
When it comes to attendance at Major League Baseball games, though, the Florida teams aren’t alone in their troubles.
The Baltimore Orioles, the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins have joined the Rays in setting stadium lows this year. The Kansas City Royals had their smallest home crowd since 2011; the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays have had their smallest crowds since 2010. The Marlins’ average attendance, though, is less than that of the Las Vegas Aviators, the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.
MLB’s overall average of 26,854 through Wednesday is 1.4% below the 27,242 through a similar point last season, when the average wound up below 30,000 for the first time since 2003. Commissioner Rob Manfred attributed this year’s drop to fewer season tickets being sold, but he emphasized game-day sales are up 6%.
“Given the explosion of entertainment alternatives and the growth of the secondary market, it is not surprising that season ticket sales can be challenging,” he said. “The clubs are responding to this challenge with creative and effective approaches. For example, sales of subscription tickets are double what they were a year ago. And the Twins recently had a $5 flash sale that produced crowds of over 30,000 in three of four games, and the largest single-game attendance since 2016.”