Lack of attendance at MLB games?

[Midoriya]

The title basically explains it. I just don't get it. People in the US care more about Football right now, as well as Basketball and Hockey, when Baseball season is just now getting exciting and will be continuing, as it always does, for the rest of the Summer. So why are people not attending the games?

I actually find it crazy that someone once suggested to me that the NFL makes more money every year than the MLB, which I find preposterous, considering the facts that the MLB has nearly the same amount of teams as the NFL, and the MLB has a lot more games put on and tickets sold (most likely) every year too. I remember asking someone later, and they reassured me that the MLB makes more money than the NFL.

So why are people not attending this year? It just makes no sense at all.

Please keep it civil.

 

[duckykate]

I guess people just dont like baseball that much lmao

 

[Tortimer]

at least in the central and eastern divisions it's been really cold, sometimes rainy and snowy. that's gonna hurt attendance every single time

 

[LambdaDelta]

people don't care enough about baseball compared to other sports, it's not that complicated

 

[nintendofan85]

In general, the popularity of baseball has dropped in the United States in recent years. I mean, I don't know about internationally, because it still remains a very popular sport in the Caribbean as well as in East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea. It used to be popular in Taiwan as well, but match-fixing scandals have hurt its popularity in recent years.
As far as I know, the US and Taiwan are the only countries where its popularity has been dwindling.

 

[Avocado LaSchaap]

Everyone's too busy watching League lmao ...

 

[King Dorado]

The title basically explains it. I just don't get it. People in the US care more about Football right now, as well as Basketball and Hockey, when Baseball season is just now getting exciting and will be continuing, as it always does, for the rest of the Summer. So why are people not attending the games?

I actually find it crazy that someone once suggested to me that the NFL makes more money every year than the MLB, which I find preposterous, considering the facts that the MLB has nearly the same amount of teams as the NFL, and the MLB has a lot more games put on and tickets sold (most likely) every year too. I remember asking someone later, and they reassured me that the MLB makes more money than the NFL.

So why are people not attending this year? It just makes no sense at all.

Please keep it civil.

well baseball season just started this month, so I disagree that it's just now getting exciting. there is excitement right now for the NBA and the NHL because they are in the middle of their playoffs; baseball won't have playoffs until September.

as somebody else pointed out, there have been several freak blizzards and severe wintry weather, so that would impact this season's attendance. plus, it isn't summer yet, so most families are still focused on the kids' schoolwork and not on attending baseball games. also, several teams-- the Rays, the Marlins, and the Pirates- unloaded all of their decent players and dashed their fans' hopes before the season even began.

but did you mean just for this season, or is there an ongoing pattern of declining baseball attendance? i think all of the major sports have had decreasing fan attendance, for a variety of reasons.

 

[~Unicorn~]

i think baseball has just became very unpopular now. i have never met anyone that has any care whatsoever for baseball or watching it, often it’s just basketball or hockey or yeah....

 

[moo_nieu]

Everyone is watching Overwatch League

 

[Midoriya]

All of these replies disappoint me greatly in the US, and the fact that this thread got bumped to the second page as well.

1. It's not as popular as it used to be because people don't have time nor want to spend the time to actually learn how the game is played. When you actually know how the game is played and have a team you like, the excitement is all the more there. Plus, the game is evolving now, but I will not go much more into that.

2. It has been cold and snowy, but that doesn't mean people should just stay out of it. I would go in freezing weather to a game if I had the chance to, just because I love the sport so much. But yeah, once April is finally over and it starts getting warmer everywhere, I expect to see people at MLB games.

3. Hockey and Basketball are nice, but they will both be over soon, so then hopefully people will go back to watching Baseball again.

4. Watching League and Overwatch for hours instead of watching sports for hours sounds painfully boring, at least IMO. It's more fun to watch actual sports IMO, because you're witnessing actual people make actual accomplishments happen. Now, you can argue that people are doing the same in any "video game," but it's not like you're watching them physically engage themselves. They're just sitting there on their laptop or desktop, or w/e they are using, mashing buttons and coming up with strategies (which people in sports come up with as well in order to win games)

5. The Rays have won around 8 in a row now, so that point is invalid, plus the Marlins are usually, USUALLY fun to watch, and the Pirates are an okay team. The fact of the matter there is to not get heartbroken or salty if your team loses, which can be applied to any major video game or team you're rooting for at this point. Those are called "fairweather" fans, and I have a strong dislike for them now. If you plan on watching an event, stay and watch all of it. Don't make excuses and leave halfway through.

6. Also the fact that any team can rebound on any given day in the MLB. It's not like the NBA, where there's these super teams that generally always do well (which I find disgusting, I actually had a good chat with an old friend a year or two ago and he told me he prefers talent over money, which I agreed with). Hockey is okay I guess, I just wish I knew more about it and had followed it longer than I have to actually care that much. It's at least fast-paced, which I'm guessing has caused some people to stop watching the MLB and start watching the NHL.

7. I'm not willing to talk about Football. For obvious reasons

 

[nintendofan85]

All of these replies disappoint me greatly in the US, and the fact that this thread got bumped to the second page as well.

1. It's not as popular as it used to be because people don't have time nor want to spend the time to actually learn how the game is played. When you actually know how the game is played and have a team you like, the excitement is all the more there. Plus, the game is evolving now, but I will not go much more into that.

2. It has been cold and snowy, but that doesn't mean people should just stay out of it. I would go in freezing weather to a game if I had the chance to, just because I love the sport so much. But yeah, once April is finally over and it starts getting warmer everywhere, I expect to see people at MLB games.

3. Hockey and Basketball are nice, but they will both be over soon, so then hopefully people will go back to watching Baseball again.

4. Watching League and Overwatch for hours instead of watching sports for hours sounds painfully boring, at least IMO. It's more fun to watch actual sports IMO, because you're witnessing actual people make actual accomplishments happen. Now, you can argue that people are doing the same in any "video game," but it's not like you're watching them physically engage themselves. They're just sitting there on their laptop or desktop, or w/e they are using, mashing buttons and coming up with strategies (which people in sports come up with as well in order to win games)

5. The Rays have won around 8 in a row now, so that point is invalid, plus the Marlins are usually, USUALLY fun to watch, and the Pirates are an okay team. The fact of the matter there is to not get heartbroken or salty if your team loses, which can be applied to any major video game or team you're rooting for at this point. Those are called "fairweather" fans, and I have a strong dislike for them now. If you plan on watching an event, stay and watch all of it. Don't make excuses and leave halfway through.

6. Also the fact that any team can rebound on any given day in the MLB. It's not like the NBA, where there's these super teams that generally always do well (which I find disgusting, I actually had a good chat with an old friend a year or two ago and he told me he prefers talent over money, which I agreed with). Hockey is okay I guess, I just wish I knew more about it and had followed it longer than I have to actually care that much. It's at least fast-paced, which I'm guessing has caused some people to stop watching the MLB and start watching the NHL.

7. I'm not willing to talk about Football. For obvious reasons

I don't dispute anything of the things you said, and baseball can definitely be a great sport. If it hadn't been popular here, it wouldn't be popular in those aforementioned countries like it is today. However, there's definitely been a generational change. Millennials and Generation Z definitely don't have the same passion for baseball as the previous generations did. But, over the years, many MLB teams have seen the writing on the wall: ever heard of "Disco Demolition Night"? The fact that a MLB team went as far as having this large event just over destroying disco records back in 1979 goes to show that baseball and all other sports have periods of decline and also periods where they either grow or rebound. I don't think baseball's current decline is permanent.

 

[Midoriya]

I don't dispute anything of the things you said, and baseball can definitely be a great sport. If it hadn't been popular here, it wouldn't be popular in those aforementioned countries like it is today. However, there's definitely been a generational change. Millennials and Generation Z definitely don't have the same passion for baseball as the previous generations did. But, over the years, many MLB teams have seen the writing on the wall: ever heard of "Disco Demolition Night"? The fact that a MLB team went as far as having this large event just over destroying disco records back in 1979 goes to show that baseball and all other sports have periods of decline and also periods where they either grow or rebound. I don't think baseball's current decline is permanent.

Yeah, I think so too. I'm pretty sure it's just going through a temporary struggle at the moment.

 

[Kalle]

I'm not really a baseball fan, but from what I understand it has to do with weather. In places like Chicago, the weather has been unusually cold for this time of year, with most trees and plants only just starting to bloom recently. I found this from a Google search:

"In 11 markets, affecting 13 teams, the average temperature is at least 10 degrees below the average compared to the previous four years. Three clubs have played in average temperatures that are 20 degrees lower than the average in the previous four years. Nine clubs have played in temperatures that are averaging 40 or below." - Forbes

Plus, apparently what we see on TV when it comes to attendance (a report of 10k in attendance when there are only a few hundred) is misconstrued due to revenue-sharing. This is also detailed in the article I linked to above.

 

[Midoriya]

I'm not really a baseball fan, but from what I understand it has to do with weather. In places like Chicago, the weather has been unusually cold for this time of year, with most trees and plants only just starting to bloom recently. I found this from a Google search:

"In 11 markets, affecting 13 teams, the average temperature is at least 10 degrees below the average compared to the previous four years. Three clubs have played in average temperatures that are 20 degrees lower than the average in the previous four years. Nine clubs have played in temperatures that are averaging 40 or below." - Forbes

Plus, apparently what we see on TV when it comes to attendance (a report of 10k in attendance when there are only a few hundred) is misconstrued due to revenue-sharing. This is also detailed in the article I linked to above.

That's really interesting, so thank you. I'll give it a read later.

I'm actually wondering now if the change in weather this year has anything to do with global warming at all.... the answer is probably no, but I cannot help but feel like MLB fans have done this to themselves.

Especially with Houston winning the World Series last year (Houston is a HUGE contributor to air pollution with the factories they have I'm pretty sure, which is why I will never visit there).

 

[Kalle]

I'm actually wondering now if the change in weather this year has anything to do with global warming at all.... the answer is probably no, but I cannot help but feel like MLB fans have done this to themselves.

Unfortunately, it certainly does have to do with global warming. Check out this early April article from the NY Times about how global warming is "causing spring to arrive early and autumn to come late in many places."

5 Plants and Animals Utterly Confused by Climate Change

Sorry for going off-topic a bit. Back to baseball then.

 

[Midoriya]

Unfortunately, it certainly does have to do with global warming. Check out this early April article from the NY Times about how global warming is "causing spring to arrive early and autumn to come late in many places."

5 Plants and Animals Utterly Confused by Climate Change

Sorry for going off-topic a bit. Back to baseball then.

It's okay.

And yeah, it makes total sense too. Maybe people just think Houston is going to repeat and there's not much point in even watching? Lol

 

[Metal Scorpion]

Awful weather the past month in the northern U.S. and poor performance with some teams had the past few years are the main reasons. For example, I don't think anyone in Miami right now wants to see the Marlins have another lame duck season.

 

[Tao]

1. It's not as popular as it used to be because people don't have time nor want to spend the time to actually learn how the game is played. When you actually know how the game is played and have a team you like, the excitement is all the more there. Plus, the game is evolving now, but I will not go much more into that.

Or they do know how the game is played and just don't care.

 

[Midoriya]

Or they do know how the game is played and just don't care.

In some cases, maybe, but in most cases, people are ignorant about Baseball. I mean, I've been watching for 8 years now, and I still learn something new every now and then. The game is evolving too thanks to statistics and metrics, and things can be recorded using StatCast by the MLB. Records are broken all the time too, and amazing things happen.

To say they just know how the game is played and just don't care really makes them look bad, because they're missing out on a lot to be honest. Whereas I'm pretty sure I'm not missing out on "much" by not playing competitively in games, streaming Overwatch, or things of such nature.

 

[Thunder]

At it's best, baseball is one of my favorite sports to watch and the lack of a time limit means the game's not over even if you're down like 5 runs in the 9th inning. But I'd be lying if I said baseball couldn't be really boring.

That isn't to say that football or basketball can't be boring, but a 9-inning game can be about 3 hours long and there's so much time in between pitches, it isn't at all surprising to me that people would be put off by it's slow pace.

there is excitement right now for the NBA and the NHL because they are in the middle of their playoffs; baseball won't have playoffs until September.

Also the NFL just had its draft the other day, which is a fairly big event for the sport.

All of these replies disappoint me greatly in the US, and the fact that this thread got bumped to the second page as well.

1. It's not as popular as it used to be because people don't have time nor want to spend the time to actually learn how the game is played. When you actually know how the game is played and have a team you like, the excitement is all the more there. Plus, the game is evolving now, but I will not go much more into that.

2. It has been cold and snowy, but that doesn't mean people should just stay out of it. I would go in freezing weather to a game if I had the chance to, just because I love the sport so much. But yeah, once April is finally over and it starts getting warmer everywhere, I expect to see people at MLB games.

3. Hockey and Basketball are nice, but they will both be over soon, so then hopefully people will go back to watching Baseball again.

4. Watching League and Overwatch for hours instead of watching sports for hours sounds painfully boring, at least IMO. It's more fun to watch actual sports IMO, because you're witnessing actual people make actual accomplishments happen. Now, you can argue that people are doing the same in any "video game," but it's not like you're watching them physically engage themselves. They're just sitting there on their laptop or desktop, or w/e they are using, mashing buttons and coming up with strategies (which people in sports come up with as well in order to win games)

5. The Rays have won around 8 in a row now, so that point is invalid, plus the Marlins are usually, USUALLY fun to watch, and the Pirates are an okay team. The fact of the matter there is to not get heartbroken or salty if your team loses, which can be applied to any major video game or team you're rooting for at this point. Those are called "fairweather" fans, and I have a strong dislike for them now. If you plan on watching an event, stay and watch all of it. Don't make excuses and leave halfway through.

6. Also the fact that any team can rebound on any given day in the MLB. It's not like the NBA, where there's these super teams that generally always do well (which I find disgusting, I actually had a good chat with an old friend a year or two ago and he told me he prefers talent over money, which I agreed with). Hockey is okay I guess, I just wish I knew more about it and had followed it longer than I have to actually care that much. It's at least fast-paced, which I'm guessing has caused some people to stop watching the MLB and start watching the NHL.

7. I'm not willing to talk about Football. For obvious reasons

1. Aren't you kind of answering your own question here?

2. I feel like you're underestimating how miserable it would be to sit through a three hour game in cold conditions. Even if your intense passion for baseball is enough to fend off the weather, I don't think the average fan is thinking "YEAH I ****IN' LOVE BASEBALL" as their fingers freeze off. Besides, with 162 games in a season, why would you attend a game with awful weather when there are 161 other games you could look into?

4. It seems awfully silly to complain about people not giving baseball a chance only to turn around and dismiss another sport without giving it a try yourself. To use your own words, perhaps you'd enjoy it "When you actually know how the game is played and have a team you like".

5. Every team is bound to go on a streak at some point, more often than not it's just due to the random nature of baseball. The Marlins could win the next five games, but unless they actually show some sustained success it'll be difficult for fans to be invested when you know they'll probably be at the bottom of the division by the end of the season.