NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s average attendance rose 0.9% this season, increasing in consecutive years for the first time since 2011-12.
MLB drew 71.35 million fans over 2,413 gates for an average of 29,568, its highest since 30,042 in 2017, the commissioner’s office said Tuesday.
The total was up 0.8% from last year’s 70.75 million in 2,415 gates. MLB drew 64.56 million and averaged 29,295 in 2023, up from 64.56 million and 26,843 in 2022.
MLB drew 69.63 million in 2018 and dropped to 68.49 million in 2019, the last season before the coronavirus pandemic caused the 2020 season to be played without fans and much of 2021 in front of limited capacities.
Five teams topped 3 million, down from eight in 2023.
The Los Angeles Dodgers topped the major leagues at 3.94 million and have led each year since 2013, other than the 2020 season without fans.
Philadelphia was second at 3.36 million, followed by San Diego at 3.33 million, the New York Yankees at 3.31 million and Atlanta at 3.01 million.
They were followed by the Chicago Cubs at 2.91 million, St. Louis at 2.88 million, Houston at 2.84 million, Toronto at 2.68 million and Boston at 2.66 million.
St. Louis, Houston and Toronto had all been above 3 million in 2023. The Cardinals dropped by 363,000 to 2.88 million, the Blue Jays by 341,000 to 2.68 million and the Astros by 217,000 to 2.84 million.
Oakland drew a major league-low 922,286 in their final season before moving to Sacramento. The Athletics plan to spend three seasons in Sacramento and move to Las Vegas in 2028.
Miami drew 1.09 million, Tampa Bay 1.34 million and the Chicago White Sox 1.38 million in a season in which they lost a post-1900 record 121 games.
Arizona had the biggest increase after reaching the World Series, rising 381,000 to 2.34 million. Kansas City rose 351,000 to 1.66 million, Baltimore increased 344,000 to 2.28 million and Philadelphia went up 311,000 to 3.36 million.
After selling off several stars at the 2023 trade deadline, the New York Mets dropped 244,000 to 2.33 million.
MLB said ESPN’s Sunday night telecasts averaged 1,505,000 viewers, up 6% and its highest since 2019. Fox’s broadcasts averaged 1,879,000, up from 1,875,000. TBS’s early prime time games averaged 375,000, a 2% rise.
Among viewers 18-34, MLB said ESPN Sunday games increased 12% and Fox 9%.
Games on MLB.TV were streamed for 14.5 billion minutes, up 14% from 12.7 billion last year. MLB said the number of games watched in their entirety increased 17%.