Brewers defy league-wide attendance drop

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – It’s a good time for baseball in Milwaukee; the Brewers are winning, setting records, and unlike many MLB franchises… increasing attendance.

According to a June 18 Forbes.com article, overall MLB attendance is down 6.5% since last season, a dramatic drop-off from just a single percent a year ago. The Brewers however, are up an average of 4,570 people per game. That's the second best mark in the league. 

As of June 16, 19 teams are experiencing a decline in attendance, with 11 teams are defying lower fan numbers. What’s a potential solution to the attendance problem?  Winning.

Seven of those 11 teams have winning records this season, with the remaining four dipping below .500 through this point of the season.

The Mets, Rockies, Padres and Twins are all seeing attendance growth without producing a winning team and are seemingly unique outliers to the league- wide drop off.

Baseball hasn’t seen overall attendance growth since 2012 when it grew just under two percent. Since that time, the league has seen consistent decline, dropping below 73 million last season for the first time since 2010.

What’s fueling this slump? Rising ticket prices are potentially part of the factor. The average price for a regular-season Major League Baseball game grew 2.7% for 2018, according to "Team Marketing Report."

With three months left in the regular season, only time will tell if the league can pitch their way out of rocky attendance numbers.