Friday, September 2, 2016

Tampa Bay Rays August 2016 Attendance Review

Welcome to our fifth monthly review of the Tampa Rays 2016 attendance. This post will look at attendance in games played at Tropicana Field from August 1, 2016 to August 25, 2016.
  • Total August 2016 Tampa Bay Rays home attendance: 220,823
  • Average attendance per game: 12,989
  • Highest attendance: 17,685 on Saturday, August 21st
  • Lowest attendance: 10,251 on Wednesday, August 17th
  • Average August game time: 3 hours
  • Highest attended series: 50,870 vs Royals, August 1-4
  • Lowest attended series: 31,461 vs Padres, August 15-17
  • Competing events:
    • August 6: Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium (attendance: 4,997)
    • August 15: Def Leppard concert @ Amphitheater
  • Total Tampa Bay Minor League August attendance: 57,135
  • Tampa Bay Minor League attendance per game: 1,146 (49 games)

Comparing August 2016 with previous years

The following chart compares August 2016 average attendance to other recent years.




The average August 2016 attendance was 27.7% less (4,969 fans per game) than the August 2015 per game average. August 2016 was the lowest average August attendance since 2003, when it was 11,103 per game. August attendance at Tropicana Field has decreased 4 years in a row and 49% since 2009.




Here is another argument against the Wins=Attendance theory. The Rays have had winning records in 8 of the last 10 seasons, yet their August attendance has trended downward. Fans are more likely to see a win in August and go home emotionally satisfied.

Weekdays vs Weekends

Let’s now look at the Rays August attendance on weekdays (Mon-Thurs) and weekends (Fri-Sun). As I have pointed out many times, the Rays usually have one of the biggest differences in Major League Baseball in regards to weekday versus weekend attendance.

This chart shows the Rays average weekday attendance in August since 2007.




In 2016, Rays average August weekday attendance was lower than it has been in at least 10 years.The Rays played 11 weekday games in August 2016 as compared to 6 weekend games, so these games weigh heavily on the overall average.

The following chart shows Rays average weekend attendance in August since 2007.




In 2016, Rays average weekend attendance was lower than it has been since 2006 (10,071). This despite the Rays hosting the Red Sox and the defending World Champion Royals. The series versus the Red Sox from August 22 to August 25 drew and average of 12,195. weekend. As I have written about before, the idea that the Red Sox attract high amounts of visiting fans to Tropicana Field should be killed, entombed in cement, and thrown in the bottom of the bay. It's not a thing anymore.

The Rays saw a 25.4% increase in weekend attendance over weekday attendance in 2016.
  • 2016 August weekend games (average attendance): 11 games (14,952)
  • 2016 August weekday games (average attendance): 6 games (11,919)
  • Percentage increase on weekends: 25.4%

Conclusion

August 2016 was a rough month for Rays attendance. August was the first month in 2016 that attendance never once topped 20,000. It was the lowest August average attendance in over a decade and neither weekdays nor weekends did well.

On a positive note, the Rays so far have not drawn less than 10,000 this year to any game for the first time in 2011. Last year, they drew under 10,000 nine times. There are only 12 games scheduled at Tropicana Field in September 2016, and 6 are against the Yankees and Red Sox, so I would assume the Rays will safely improve on that dubious distinction.

What to expect in September? With the Rays out of contention, September will be more of what we have seen this season. On a positive note, there is the final appearance of the Red Sox's David Ortiz, so there might be a bump for that if there are Red Sox fans still in the area. And the Yankees also visit St. Petersburg, which may make for above average attendance.

The Rays may also start preparing for next season, both on the field and in the marketing department. We already saw them freeze season ticket prices but I am curious to see if there will be any other announcements for 2017 ticket holders.

As the season concludes, we might also see the Rays begin to study their season ticket holder base. Who do they have? How many games did they go to, why, and when? Knowing the business is an important first step in improving. We already have seen the Rays reach out to academia to get their insight on marketing. We will see what other improvements are made.