WNBA has record low regular-season attendance in 2015
The WNBA’s fanbase did not show up in large numbers this year. The league had the lowest average attendance in history according to a report by SportsBusiness Daily with 7,318 fans per game.
Attendance dropped three percent from last season. The league’s best season was 1998 with a record 10,984 fans per game, but this year’s numbers dipped below a previous low of 7,457 attendees per game recorded in 2012.
The report attributed the lower numbers to a decline in attendance by fans in San Antonio who did not migrate to the team’s temporary facilities at Freeman Coliseum during renovations of the AT&T Center next door. In addition, fan attendance in Tulsa dropped 7.2 percent. The team will relocate to Arlington, Texas after this season.
Other statistics from the report:
- There were 33 sold-out games, an increase from 25 compared to last season
- Phoenix led the league in attendance with 9,946 attendees per game
- Los Angeles saw an uptick in attendance compared to last year with a 9 percent increase at 9,065 fans per game
- Six teams had declining attendance for regular season home games
The playoffs begin tomorrow with Indiana at Chicago, followed by Tulsa at Phoenix. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.
