One of the defining characteristics of Minor Sports Leagues is that they play to smaller crowds of fans. Minor-Leagues.com has compiled a series of posts that provides details of attendance figures.
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the premier outdoor soccer league which began play 1993. MLS experienced financial and operational struggles in its first few years: The league lost millions of dollars, teams played in mostly empty American football stadiums, and two teams folded in 2002. Since then, MLS has expanded to 22 teams, owners built soccer-specific stadiums, and has secured national TV contracts, and the league is now profitable.
Below is the fan attendance for the entire league from 2006 to 2013.
League | Sport | Season | # of Teams | Team Change | Games | Games Change | Total Attendance | TA Change | Average Attendance | AA Change | Source |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2006 | 12 USA | untracked | 192 | untracked | 2,976,787 | untracked | 15,504 | untracked | kenn.com |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2007 | 13 (12 USA 1 CAN) | 8.33% | 195 | 1.56% | 3,270,210 | 9.86% | 16,770 | 8.17% | kenn.com |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2008 | 14 (13 USA 1 CAN) | 7.69% | 210 | 7.69% | 3,456,641 | 5.70% | 16,460 | -1.85% | kenn.com |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2009 | 15 (14 USA 1 CAN) | 7.14% | 225 | 7.14% | 3,608,359 | 4.39% | 16,037 | -2.57% | kenn.com |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2010 | 16 (15 USA 1 CAN) | 6.67% | 240 | 6.67% | 4,002,053 | 10.91% | 16,675 | 3.98% | kenn.com |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2011 | 18 (16 USA 2 CAN) | 12.50% | 306 | 27.50% | 5,467,996 | 36.63% | 17,869 | 7.16% | WorldFootball |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2012 | 19 (16 USA 3 CAN) | 5.56% | 323 | 5.56% | 6,074,729 | 11.10% | 18,807 | 5.25% | kenn.com |
Major League Soccer | Association Football | 2013 | 19 (16 USA 3 CAN) | 0.00% | 323 | 0.00% | 6,007,686 | -1.10% | 18,600 | -1.10% | kenn.com |
The average salary for MLS players is $316,777, lower than the average salaries in England’s second-tier Football League Championship ($420,000 in 2015), Holland’s Eredivisie ($445,000), or Mexico’s Liga MX ($418,000 in 2015). The league’s minimum player salary increased in 2017 to $65,000 for most players, and roster players #25–28 saw their minimum salary increased to $53,000. MLS salaries are limited by a salary cap, which MLS has had in place since the league’s inception in 1996. The purpose of the salary cap is to prevent the team’s owners from unsustainable spending on player salaries and to prevent a competitive imbalance among teams.
- Women’s Professional Soccer Attendance 2009 to 2011 - October 30, 2017
- Women’s National Basketball Association Attendance 2006 to 2013 - October 27, 2017
- USL Pro Attendance 2011 to 2013 - October 23, 2017