MLB Attendance down 7% from a year ago

[JRHawk2003]

Early season cold weather may have played a part, but there could be other factors at work. What does Fangraphs say about it lol?

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/06/14/major-league-baseball-attendance-continues-to-fall/

 

[Moral]

other factors at work

It is kneeling and the liberal agenda.

 

[Herkmeister]

I just don't like MLB. Their last strike sent me packing.

 

[Run&Blade]

It’s expensive. I think people are entertaining themselves more.

Check out the seen on lager city bike paths and breweries. People are enjoying bar hoping on bikes, pro sports is damn expensive.

Teams need to drop concession prices way down for the basic items and also the price of seats. IMO they priced themselves out. People still go, just to far fewer games.

 

[Herkmeister]

It’s expensive. I think people are entertaining themselves more.

Check out the seen on lager city bike paths and breweries. People are enjoying bar hoping on bikes, pro sports is damn expensive.

Teams need to drop concession prices way down for the basic items and also the price of seats. IMO they priced themselves out. People still go, just to far fewer games.

Agreed. Plus minor league ball is much cheaper.

 

[The Tradition]

Agreed. Plus minor league ball is much cheaper.

Minor league ball is a hoot. Monday nights are all-you-can-eat hot dogs, burgers and pizza night.

 

[Run&Blade]

Iowa Cubs are not cheap. Beer and food is just as high as Target Field or at least so damn close it is hard to distinguish.

Of course I would charge that much also if they keep coming.

 

[StormHawk42]

$12 beer, $14 cheeseburger with $6 fries. Things like that.

 

[Joes Place]

It is kneeling during the God Bless America 7th Inning Stretch and the liberal agenda.

FIFY

 

[JRHawk2003]

Tanking is the reason most often cited. I just think there are so many more options available to people now for entertainment in an evening or especially a weekend that its just hard to maintain their share. Also, it is expensive. Taking my 4 kids to a Sox game sitting in the outfield, and getting food (not beer even) was $200+. So we go like once a year maybe. Weeknights would be cheaper, but not really possible.

 

[BeepBeepInMyJeep]

The median household income in this country is $59000 a year. Half of households make less than that. It may be unimaginable to the denizens of this board but there's just a lot of people and kids out there that just straight up can't afford to go.

 

[The_Joker13]

It’s boring AF

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

It is 100% the price. Same reason it’s hard for me to take my family of 5 to Kinnick. It’s damn expensive. You want more butts in the seats, lower your prices. Get them in the seat, then make your money on concessions. Taking the entire family to Kinnick with reasonably good seats is a $500 to $750 dollar weekend. Now I pick and choose 1 to 2 games per year to go to and I rarely take all 5.

 

[Run&Blade]

It is 100% the price. Same reason it’s hard for me to take my family of 5 to Kinnick. It’s damn expensive. You want more butts in the seats, lower your prices. Get them in the seat, then make your money on concessions. Taking the entire family to Kinnick with reasonably good seats is a $500 to $750 dollar weekend. Now I pick and choose 1 to 2 games per year to go to and I rarely take all 5.

Agreed, big time sports is now a once a year thing, and if the team stinks I am not even doing that.

Lately we go to one NHL game and one NFL game per year. Going twice would be out of the question. It just isn’t worth it.

 

[JWolf74]

There's a few factors, but I have to think the price is #1.

I haven't bought tickets through the cardinals in 3 years. It's always about double what I can spend for the same tickets on Stubhub or Vivid Seats. For just the 3 of us to go to a Sunday afternoon game, it's typically 40-50 bucks just to sit in the nosebleeds. Then factor in parking, food, beer. It adds up.

Now take in a Friday or Sat night game, at least double or triple that number. If you want to actually get good seats, it's typically going to run you at least 50 each to sit in the lower bowl.

That's just not feasible for most families. It's a long season. I can't imagine why teams don't drop the price to get more fans in the seats for more than 1 or 2 games per year.

 

[bojihawk44]

Came in to address all the mouth breathers, but only got one so far.

If you don't like baseball, you:

1. Were terrible at it
2. Weren't raised properly

There ya go.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Let's see how the season plays out. I'm guessing the weather is the biggest reason for year over year decline.

 

[ThorneStockton]

You guys should adopt the Sox, can go to those really cheap.

$45 for all you can eat and drink beer for 3 hours and a outfield ticket.

Like $7 bucks for the upper deck and you can probably make your way down. The only thing that adds up is the $10 beers.

 

[The Tradition]

Let's see how the season plays out. I'm guessing the weather is the biggest reason for year over year decline.

I'd rather sit in the cold than sit in a ballpark in the middle of the afternoon when it's in the 90s.

You can always put more clothes on, but you can only take so much clothing off.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

I'd rather sit in the cold than sit in a ballpark in the middle of the afternoon when it's in the 90s.

You can always put more clothes on, but you can only take so much clothing off.

Agreed. That might be part of it too. If it hasn't been cold, it's been boiling hot.

 

[joelbc1]

damn kneelers!

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

It’s expensive. I think people are entertaining themselves more.

Check out the seen on lager city bike paths and breweries. People are enjoying bar hoping on bikes, pro sports is damn expensive.

Teams need to drop concession prices way down for the basic items and also the price of seats. IMO they priced themselves out. People still go, just to far fewer games.

I agree the concession prices for the most part are outrageous, especially beer. But as far as professional sports ticket prices go, MLB games are the best value around (with a few market exceptions). I could grab tickets to tonight's Cubs/Cards game right now for less than $25/head. That's not too bad IMO.

 

[hawkcub]

Agreed. That might be part of it too. If it hasn't been cold, it's been boiling hot.

I actually think in a year-by-year comparison this isn't brought up enough.

 

[hawkcub]

For a decade I would go to Chicago for a week's worth of cubs games. It was fun, but over the last three years I've gone to one game a year. Use that money on other entertainment options. Going to NYC this year and went to DC last year. Part of it was the Cubs games just got so high priced, especially the beer. On a more personal level part of it was I wanted to use my entertainment funds on other things outside of Chicago and Cubs games.

 

[hawkcub]

Came in to address all the mouth breathers, but only got one so far.

If you don't like baseball, you:

1. Were terrible at it
2. Weren't raised properly

There ya go.

I'm an outlier I wasn't very good at it and no one in my family can stand the sport except for me.

 

[bojihawk44]

I'm an outlier I wasn't very good at it and no one in my family can stand the sport except for me.

Then you are one hell of a man. Kudos.

 

[Wendy79]

I agree the concession prices for the most part are outrageous, especially beer. But as far as professional sports ticket prices go, MLB games are the best value around (with a few market exceptions). I could grab tickets to tonight's Cubs/Cards game right now for less than $25/head. That's not too bad IMO.

But if there's 4 of you, that's 100 bucks. And all of you aren't going to sit there and not eat or drink anything for 3 hours, especially the kids.

 

[The_Joker13]

Came in to address all the mouth breathers, but only got one so far.

If you don't like baseball, you:

1. Were terrible at it
2. Weren't raised properly

There ya go.

So, bad at a sport=can’t enjoy it? Lol, ok broji. It’s fun to play, not to watch. It might as well be golf. COME AT ME BRO!!!!

 

[bojihawk44]

So, bad at a sport=can’t enjoy it? Lol, ok broji. It’s fun to play, not to watch. It might as well be golf. COME AT ME BRO!!!!

What? No, I never said if you're bad at a sport you can't enjoy it. It's just that a majority of people who hate baseball were bad at it, as therefore shouldn't be taken seriously.

And golf and baseball are awesome and a rite of passage for true men.

#keepinitonehunnad

 

[anon_snp6dc585nnj4]

I’ll be at the Angels game tonight in Oakland. So don’t blame me.


http://m.mlb.com/oak/promo/beerfinder

 

[tumorboy]

Should raise prices higher keep the poors out. Hate the smell of the unwashed masses.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

I agree the concession prices for the most part are outrageous, especially beer. But as far as professional sports ticket prices go, MLB games are the best value around (with a few market exceptions). I could grab tickets to tonight's Cubs/Cards game right now for less than $25/head. That's not too bad IMO.

And that is one of over 100 games your team will play that season.

Full disclosure I am not a baseball fan. One of the things I can't understand about it is there are so many flipping games I don't even get how one individual game in the beginning or middle of the season .can be all that interesting.

 

[jaxhawk06]

So, bad at a sport=can’t enjoy it? Lol, ok broji. It’s fun to play, not to watch. It might as well be golf. COME AT ME BRO!!!!

I used to be a huge baseball fan growing up and it was the only sport I played after elementary school. Can't stand it anymore, haven't watched a game in years.

 

[dgordo]

Baseball is my favorite sport to watch in person but there are just so many games. I still make it to 25-30 games a year. I have no idea what the cubs attendance looks like vs previous years but the head of the chicago park district little league told me he has never had so many kids interested in playing. Baseball is very popular in Chicago right now.

 

[IACub]

Let’s find out what @IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life thinks, I’m sure he’s got a logical reason for a decrease in attendance.

 

[Menace Sockeyes]

You guys should adopt the Sox, can go to those really cheap.

$45 for all you can eat and drink beer for 3 hours and a outfield ticket.

Like $7 bucks for the upper deck and you can probably make your way down. The only thing that adds up is the $10 beers.

Do they still do $5 Family Sundays? We hit one up as a family and it was a hit lat year. Went back again. I'm biased as a Sox fan, but it's a far better family experience than going to the Cubs.

 

[MitchL]

Let’s find out what @IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life thinks, I’m sure he’s got a logical reason for a decrease in attendance.

Setting his DVR for the next episode of F and Friends.

He'll be here soon enough and then you'll regret asking!

 

[Menace Sockeyes]

I used to be a huge baseball fan growing up and it was the only sport I played after elementary school. Can't stand it anymore, haven't watched a game in years.

I was this way until almost two years ago. I hadn't really followed for a decade. I like the Brewers in the NL and White Sox in the AL. When all those news outlets completely dissed the Sox by forgetting about their 2005 title, I was back in. It has helped that the Chicago Fire owner is a prick.

 

[ThorneStockton]

Do they still do $5 Family Sundays? We hit one up as a family and it was a hit lat year. Went back again. I'm biased as a Sox fan, but it's a far better family experience than going to the Cubs.

I'm not sure, they switch up the deals fairly often, they just had a 2 beers and a bleacher ticket for $22 deal going on select days for awhile.

 

[The_Joker13]

Baseball is my favorite sport to watch in person but there are just so many games. I still make it to 25-30 games a year. I have no idea what the cubs attendance looks like vs previous years but the head of the chicago park district little league told me he has never had so many kids interested in playing. Baseball is very popular in Chicago right now.

Chicago is and always will be a “baseball” town. Same with Boston and probably NY.