National Women's Soccer League attendance explained

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top-tier professional women's soccer league in the United States.

Total attendance

Season Total Gate Games Average Change High avg. Team Low avg. Team Ref.
align=center align=right style="background:#fbb;" 375,763 align=right 88 align=right 4,270 align=right align=right 13,320 align=right 1,664 align=center [1]
align=center align=right 446,820 align=right 108 align=right style="background:#fbb;" 4,137 align=right −3.1% align=right 13,362 align=right style="background:#fbb;" 1,640 align=center [2]
align=center align=right 454,100 align=right 90 align=right 5,046 align=right 21.9% align=right 15,639 align=right 2,189 align=center [3]
align=center align=right 555,775 align=right 100 align=right 5,558 align=right 10.1% align=right 16,945 align=right 2,162 align=center [4]
align=center align=right 609,960 align=right 120 align=right 5,083 align=right −8.5% align=right 17,653 align=right 1,788 align=center [5]
align=center align=right 650,564 align=right 108 align=right 6,024 align=right 18.5% align=right 16,959 align=right 2,531 align=center [6]
align=center align=right 792,409 align=right 108 align=right 7,337 align=right 21.8% align=right 20,098 align=right 3,338 align=center [7]
align=center align=right 592,074 align=right 116 align=right 5,528[8] align=right −30.5% align=right bgcolor=#fbb 12,555 align=right 3,143 align=center
align=center align=right 1,042,063 align=right 132 align=right 7,894 align=right 42.8% align=right 19,105 align=right 4,385 align=center
align=center align=right bgcolor=#dfd 1,366,581 align=right 132 align=right bgcolor=#dfd 10,432 align=right bgcolor=#dfd 32.2% align=right bgcolor=#dfd 20,718 align=right bgcolor=#dfd 4,848 align=center [9]

Attendance by team

width=4% Season !width=4% BOS !width=4% CHI !width=4% FCKC !width=4% HOU !width=4% KCC !width=4% LA !width=4% LOU !width=4% NC !width=4% NJY !width=4% ORL !width=4% POR !width=4% RGN !width=4% SD !width=4% UTA !width=4% WAS !width=4% WNY
2013[10] bgcolor=#fbb 2,427 bgcolor=#fbb 1,711 bgcolor=#dfd 4,626 1,666 13,320 bgcolor=#fbb 2,306 3,625 bgcolor=#dfd 4,485
2014[11] 2,437 2,949 2,018 4,650 -- -- 1,656 -- 13,362 3,666 3,335 3,177
2015[12] 2,863 4,210 3,091 6,413 -- -- 2,189 -- 15,639 4,060 4,087 2,860
2016[13] 3,570 3,005 3,162 5,696 -- -- 2,162 8,785 16,945 4,602 -- 3,782 3,868
2017 2,896 3,196 1,788 4,578 -- 4,389 2,613 6,186 17,653 4,037 -- 3,491 --
2018 4,368 3,896 -- 5,129 2,531 4,837 16,959 3,824 bgcolor=#fbb 9,466 3,892
2019 5,451 3,615 -- bgcolor=#dfd 5,875 3,338 5,565 bgcolor=#dfd 20,098 5,213 bgcolor=#dfd 10,774 6,105
2021 3,143 bgcolor=#fbb 3,386 4,837 bgcolor=#dfd 6,610 4,986 3,793 bgcolor=#fbb 4,227 bgcolor=#fbb 12,555 5,240 4,130
2022 bgcolor=#dfd 5,863 5,644 7,657 bgcolor=#fbb 19,105 6,048 4,545 4,415 4,385 15,543 6,844 bgcolor=#fbb 8,729 5,955
2023 4,848 5,857 bgcolor=#dfd 11,353 bgcolor=#dfd 19,756 bgcolor=#fbb 5,999 5,384 bgcolor=#dfd 6,293 6,005 18,918 bgcolor=#dfd 13,610 bgcolor=#dfd 20,718 bgcolor=#dfd 10,876

Attendance records

See also: Record attendances in United States club soccer.

Regular season

Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Venue Location Date Ref.
align=center align=center 0–2 align=center 42,054* [14]
align=center 1 align=center 1–2 align=center 35,038 [15] [16]
align=center 2 OL Reign align=center 0–0 align=center 34,130 Lumen Field Seattle, Washington [17]
align=center 3 align=center 1–2 align=center 32,066 [18]
align=center 4 San Diego Wave FC align=center 1–0 align=center 32,000 Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California [19]
align=center 5 San Diego Wave FC align=center 3–2 Chicago Red Stars align=center 30,854 Snapdragon Stadium [20]
align=center 6 San Diego Wave FC align=center 2–0 align=center 30,312 Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California
align=center OL Reign align=center 2–1 Portland Thorns FC align=center 27,248* Lumen Field Seattle, Washington [21] [22]
align=center 7 San Diego Wave FC align=center 1–2 Angel City align=center 25,515 Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California
align=center rowspan=2 8 Portland Thorns FC align=center 2–1 align=center 25,218 [23]
Portland Thorns FC align=center 2–0 OL Reign align=center 25,218 Providence Park Portland, Oregon [24]
align=center 10 San Diego Wave FC align=center 1–0 align=center 24,936 Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California

Playoffs

RankHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceVenueDateStageRef.
align=center 1 align=center 0–1 align=center 32,262 align=center Semifinal [25]
align=center 2 San Diego Wave FC align=center 2–1 align=center 26,215 Snapdragon Stadium align=center Quarterfinal [26]
align=center 3 align=center 0–1 align=center 25,218 align=center Semifinal
align=center 4 align=center 1–2 align=center 25,111 align=center Final
align=center 5 align=center 2–1 San Diego Wave FC 22,035 align=center Semifinal [27]
align=center 6 align=center 0–2 21,491 align=center Semifinal [28]
align=center 7 align=center 1–2 Kansas City Current align=center 21,284 align=center Quarterfinal
align=center 8 Portland Thorns FC* align=center 0–3 21,144 Providence Park align=center Final [29] [30]
align=center 9 Portland Thorns FC align=center 3–4 align=center 20,086 Providence Park align=center Semifinal [31]
align=center 10 Portland Thorns FC align=center 4–1 align=center 18,193 Providence Park align=center Semifinal [32]

NWSL attendance vs. other leagues

Vs. other North American women's professional leagues

The following table compares the NWSL regular season average attendance against the regular season average attendance for other professional women's sports leagues in North America.

LeagueYear
started
SportTeamsGames
played
SeasonAttendance
AverageAverage vs.
prior season
Total
National Women's Soccer League2013 12 132 +32.2%
Women's National Basketball Association1996 12 216 +115.4% [33]
Liga MX Femenil2016 18 306 +23.8%
National Pro Fastpitch2004 5 72 +26% ~[34]
Premier Hockey Federation2015 4 60 [35]

Vs. other professional soccer leagues in North America

The following table compares the NWSL regular season average attendance against the average regular season attendance for other professional soccer leagues in North America.

LeagueYear
started
DivisionTeamsMatches
played
SeasonAttendance
AverageAverage vs.
prior season
Total
Liga MX1943 Men's DI 18 153 +12.8% [36]
Major League Soccer1996 Men's DI 28 476 -1.4% [37]
National Women's Soccer League2013 Women's DI 12 132 +32.2%
USL Championship2011 Men's DII 27 472 +44.5% [38]
Canadian Premier League2019 Men's DI 8 112 -34.7% [39]
Liga MX Femenil2016 Women's DI 18 306 +23.8%
USL League One2019 Men's DIII 11 170 +13.3% [40]

Vs. other worldwide women's top-division soccer leagues

The following table compares the NWSL regular season average attendance against the regular season average attendance for a selection other top-flight soccer leagues from around the world; this list is not exhaustive.

League Year Started Nation
  1. Teams
Season Average
attendance
Average vs.
prior season
Total
Attendance
Ref
National Women's Soccer League 2013 12 +36.2%
FA WSL 12011 England12 2022-235,222 +172% 689,304 [41]
199012 +221%
2016 18 -16%
2021 12
198816 +124%
2008 12 +8%
197412 +42%

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Taking Attendance 8/18/2013: Final NWSL Attendance Numbers. Kenn.com. November 26, 2016.
  2. Web site: Gerhke. Sarah. NWSL: Breaking down 2014 attendance numbers, part I. Soccerwire. November 26, 2016. September 30, 2014.
  3. Web site: Goldberg. Jamie. National Women's Soccer League sees record attendance numbers in third season. The Oregonian. November 26, 2016. September 11, 2015.
  4. Web site: Goldberg. Jamie. National Women's Soccer League once again saw rising attendance numbers in 2016. The Oregonian. November 26, 2016. November 16, 2016.
  5. Web site: 2017 NWSL Attendance. Soccer Stadium Digest. October 8, 2017.
  6. Web site: 2018 NWSL Attendance. Soccer Stadium Digest. September 13, 2018.
  7. Web site: 2019 NWSL Attendance. Soccer Stadium Digest . October 12, 2019 . October 13, 2019.
  8. Web site: 2022 NWSL Attendance. Soccer Stadium Digest . October 7, 2022.
  9. Web site: 2023 NWSL Attendance . Soccer Stadium Digest . October 16, 2023.
  10. Web site: 2013 NWSL Statistics. November 27, 2016.
  11. Web site: 2014 NWSL Statistics. November 27, 2016.
  12. Web site: 2015 NWSL Statistics. November 27, 2016.
  13. Web site: 2016 NWSL Statistics. November 27, 2016.
  14. News: Evans . Jayda . June 3, 2023 . OL Reign lose to Thorns for first time since 2019 to cap soccer twinbill . The Seattle Times . August 6, 2023.
  15. Web site: Kawash . Maher . Historic Chicago Red Stars soccer match at Wrigley Field breaks NWSL attendance record . . June 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240609111351/https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-red-stars-host-soccer-match-wrigley-field/14926201/ . June 9, 2024 . June 9, 2024 . The soccer match between the Chicago Red Stars and Bay FC Saturday night broke the National Women's Soccer League's attendance record, drawing in 35,038 soccer fans... . live.
  16. Web site: Melsar . Eileen . Photos: Chicago Red Stars set NWSL attendance record at Wrigley Field . . June 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240609044257/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/06/08/photos-chicago-red-stars-wrigley-field/ . June 9, 2024 . June 9, 2024 . The match drew 35,038 fans, setting a National Women's Soccer League record. . live.
  17. News: Anderson . Jason . October 6, 2023 . OL Reign sets standalone NWSL attendance record for Rapinoe farewell game . USA Today . Pro Soccer Wire . October 6, 2023.
  18. Web site: . Kansas City Current take winning ways on the road, defeat San Diego Wave FC 2-1 . . June 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240324083433/https://www.kshb.com/sports/local-sports/kc-current/kansas-city-current-take-winning-ways-on-the-road-defeat-san-diego-wave-fc-2-1 . March 24, 2024 . March 24, 2024 . ...in front of 32,066 fans, an NWSL home opener record. . live.
  19. Web site: Match Recap: San Diego tops Angel City in front of capacity crowd for first win at Snapdragon Stadium . National Women's Soccer League . September 18, 2022 . September 18, 2022.
  20. Web site: Late Morgan penalty helps Wave FC edge Chicago in front of over 30,000 fans in San Diego . National Women's Soccer League . March 25, 2023 . May 16, 2023.
  21. Match Recap: Reign Earn Hard Fought 2–1 Win Against Portland . National Women's Soccer League . August 30, 2021 . August 29, 2021.
  22. News: Sounders, Reign play hosts at unique doubleheader Sunday at Lumen Field . August 28, 2021 . August 23, 2022 . The Seattle Times . Jayda . Evans.
  23. Web site: Goldberg. Jamie. Portland Thorns fight back to earn massive 2–1 win over North Carolina Courage in front of record-setting crowd. The Oregonian. August 11, 2019. August 11, 2019.
  24. Web site: Sugita, Weaver goals see Portland to Cascadia clash win over OL Reign. National Women's Soccer League . October 9, 2023. September 17, 2023.
  25. News: Kraasovic . Tom . November 5, 2023 . Stunning goal sinks San Diego Wave's season in NWSL semifinals . San Diego Union-Tribune . November 6, 2023.
  26. News: October 16, 2022 . KC Current, San Diego Wave FC advance to NWSL semifinals. Meg. Linehan. The Athletic.
  27. Web site: National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL. www.nwslsoccer.com.
  28. Web site: National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL. www.nwslsoccer.com.
  29. Web site: Courage cap off record-setting season with NWSL Championship win . National Women's Soccer League. September 22, 2018 . October 8, 2016.
  30. News: This week in NWSL chaos: Current, Wave make it a good day for water in the quarterfinals. Meg Linehan and Steph. Yang. The New York Times .
  31. Web site: Flash beat Thorns FC, 4–3, in extra time. National Women's Soccer League. November 28, 2016. October 2, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161106224647/http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news-2/flash-beat-thorns-fc-4-3-in-extra-time. November 6, 2016. dead.
  32. Web site: NWSL Playoffs Match Recap: Portland Thorns FC 4, Orlando Pride 1 . Portland Thorns FC . October 7, 2017 . October 21, 2017.
  33. Web site: Yearly Attendance by Team . Across the Timeline . June 9, 2023.
  34. Web site: A Look Back At The NPF Year 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161128051157/http://profastpitch.com/news/index.html?article_id=2466 . usurped . November 28, 2016 . NPF . November 27, 2016.
  35. Web site: Will Female Pro-Hockey Players Ever Get What They're Worth? . Yahoo . November 26, 2016.
  36. Web site: Asistencia . Attendance . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501073455/https://ligamx.net/cancha/asistencia . May 1, 2023.
  37. News: Kennedy . Paul . October 13, 2022 . Crowd Count: MLS attendance tops 10 million for first time . . subscription . https://archive.today/20221028215033/https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/93895/crowd-count-mls-attendance-tops-10-million-for-fi.html . October 28, 2022 . July 17, 2023.
  38. Web site: 2022 USL Championship Attendance . Soccer Stadium Digest . October 17, 2022 . July 17, 2023.
  39. Web site: Schedule . . July 17, 2023.
  40. Web site: 2022 USL League One Attendance . Soccer Stadium Digest . October 15, 2022 . July 17, 2023.
  41. Web site: Baer . Bettina . WOMEN'S FOOTBALL LEAGUE ATTENDANCES CONTINUE TO GROW, AS UNDERSTANDING OF FANS BUILDS ACROSS EUROPE . Two Circles . March 31, 2024.