First, a look at the Marauders average annual and per game attendance from 2010-2016. From 2010-2016, the Marauders average annual attendance was 94,338. The Marauders per game average in the 461 attended games at McKechnie Field from 2010 to 2016 was 1,432.
Click here for Bradenton Marauders season average attendance 2010-2016 charts and analysis.
Next, we will look at Marauders average attendance by month from 2010 to 2016. The following graph depicts the Marauders average attendance per month.
The following chart depicts their best and worst average attended months.
This chart shows the annual attendance ranking by month each year spanning from 2010 to 2016 as well as the month’s average finish.
(Yellow highlights = Best month/ Red highlights = Worst month)
The next charts depict average attendance per month per year from 2010 to 2016.
April average per game attendance 2010 to 2016:
In April, after two considerable years of increases, average attendance leveled in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, average April attendance increased 38%. Average April attendance decreased 16% in 2016. This decrease was close to the overall decrease between 2015 and 2016 of 15%.
May average per game attendance 2010 to 2016:
In May, Marauders attendance steadily increased until 2016.Following a 53% increase in 2011, there was an 8% decrease in 2012, but then increases or stability until 2015. The 17% decrease in 2016 was slightly above the Marauders overall 2016 average attendance decrease of 15%.
June average per game attendance 2010 to 2016:
In June, Marauders average attendance has decreased almost to their 2010 monthly average. After an 88% increase from 2010 to 2011 and slight to zero increases from 2011 to 2015, Marauders average attendance in June has decreased an average of 600 fans per night.
July average per game attendance 2010 to 2016:
Marauders July average attendance hasn't decreased as much as other months. This is probably due to July 4th or approximate date fireworks promotions. Fireworks promotions are usually among the Marauders highest attended games of the season. The Marauders saw an increase in July in 2016, the only month that increased from 2015 average attendance.
August/September average per game attendance 2010 to 2016:
This is concerning. Marauders average attendance in August has decreased over 20% every year since 2013. It has decreased over 50% since 2013. As death metal band Obituary would say "Chopped in Half". Like June's average attendance, August average attendance in 2016 was only a few hundred more than average August attendance in the Marauders first year. Weather may have something to do with this decrease, but this is a trend the Marauders front office may want to look at.
Percentage Changes Since 2010:
- April: up 126%
- May: up 72.5%
- June: up 29.4%
- July: up 70%
- August/Sept: up 36%
Analysis:
Overall, Bradenton Marauders monthly average attendance has soared since 2010. In each month, average attendance has increased over 2010 monthly average. In the case of April, current average attendance is over double what the 2010 April average was. Because 2010 was the Marauders first year, perhaps there was a lack of experienced marketing or promotions in Bradenton or lack of season ticket sales or lack of awareness by the local fans.
After the huge increase from 2010 to 2011, each month tells its own different story. Some months have almost done away with the 2011 increases, other months have leveled out.
August may require additional research. What is causing three consecutive years of 20% decreases? I may need to sit down the Marauders to get their thoughts on their monthly trends. Perhaps the team loads up on promotions early in the season, boosting attendance. Maybe McKechnie Park is not a fun place to be in August.
The Marauders are an interesting team to explore. They are Tampa Bay's newest team, beginning two years after the Rays made the World Series and as the Major League team was starting to increase their fanbase. They play in one of the nicest and oldest stadiums in the Florida State League and have some of their Major League team's best prospects.
(By the way, how Major League Baseball allowed more cannibalization in Tampa Bay while the Rays fanbase was growing is beyond me. Does not seem like a positive strategic decision.)
The Marauders have not been as successful as the Clearwater Threshers, but draw almost double the attendance of the Dunedin Blue Jays. They have been similar to the attendance draw of the Tampa Yankees. For a team in small-town coastal Florida, that's not bad at all.