The MLS once again broke the record for average attendance and total attendance in their best year yet.
The total number of attendees for the 2012 MLS season was 6,072,854. The first time that the league has broken 6 million attendees. To put it in perspective, the MLS broke 4 million in 2010 and 5 million in 2011 for the first times, so the MLS has attendance growth has been continual. Granted the addition of teams has helped this, but overall average attendance has spiked too.
The MLS posted the highest average attendance per game in 2012 with 18,801. This puts them as the 8th highest average attendance for a football league in the world. They are behind the Bundesliga, the Premier League, La Liga, Liga MX, Serie A, Eredivisie and the Chinese Super League. This does put the MLS above leagues such as Ligue 1, the Coca-Cola Championship, and Primera A Division in Argentina.
After fluctuation around 16,000 attendees per game for a few years (2007-2010), the MLS has started to grow as better talent, better soccer specific stadiums, and better atmospheres have created the MLS to what it is today. The MLS is not done growing, but it will be interesting to see if attendance can hold over the next few years with no new teams joining the league (besides a NY team presumably in 2014 or later). The lower attendance teams are growing though as the lowest team this year (Chivas USA) had an attendance of 13,056. Where as the past few years have had the lowest attended club be in the 9,000-11,000 range. There are a lot of positives to be seen from this year and the MLS is still a young league; there is much more to come in the next few years.
Comment on this if you want all 17 games of your team put up, if you would like a year by year of your team, or anything else.
I will work on an article with the stats in a graph in 1996 to truly see the MLS progression.
Don't hesitate to ask for some stats or an article. I will try to get written up ASAP around my busy college exam schedule.
| Team | 2012 Average Attendance | Capacity | Percent Full | 2011 Average Attendance | % Change from 2011 |
| Chicago Fire | 16,407 | 20,000 | 82.03% | 14,274 | +14.94 |
| Chivas USA | 13,056 | 18,800 | 69.45% | 14,830 | -11.96 |
| Colorado Rapids | 15,175 | 18,086 | 83.90% | 14,838 | +2.27 |
| Columbus Crew | 14,397 | 20,145 | 71.47% | 12,185 | +18.15 |
| DC United | 13,846 | 19,467 | 71.13% | 15,211 | -8.97 |
| FC Dallas | 14,199 | 20,500 | 69.27% | +10.41 | |
| Houston Dynamo | 20,946 | 22,000 | 95.21% | 17,694 | +18.38 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 23,136 | 27,000 | 85.69% | 23,335 | -0.85 |
| Montreal Impact | 22,772 | 20,341 | 111.95% | --- | --- |
| NE Revolution | 14,001 | 20,000 | 70.01% | 13,222 | +5.90 |
| New York Red Bulls | 18,281 | 25,000 | 73.13% | 19,691 | -7.16 |
| Philadelphia Union | 18,053 | 18,500 | 97.58% | 18,258 | -1.12 |
| Portland Timbers | 20,438 | 20,438 | 100.00% | 18,827 | +8.56 |
| Real Salt Lake | 19,087 | 20,213 | 94.43% | 17,594 | +8.49 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 13,293 | 10,525 | 126.30% | 11,858 | +12.10 |
| Seattle Sounders | 43,104 | 38,500 | 111.96% | 38,495 | +11.97 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 19,404 | 18,467 | 105.08% | 17,810 | +8.95 |
| Toronto FC | 18,155 | 21,140 | 85.88% | 20,267 | -10.42 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 19,475 | 21,000 | 92.74% | 20,406 | -4.56 |
| Average | 18,801 | 21,059 | 89.28% | 17,870 | +5.21 |
