In recent years, Major League Baseball has seen a drop in league wide attendance. While many have speculated that the drop is skewed by poor weather in early season months, it seems to have plagued teams throughout the baseball season. While there could very well be many more, here are five reason why I believe that MLB attendance is down in recent years.
1. The season is too long
The MLB season is 162 games long, meaning that many games throughout the year mean very little for either team. Because of that, and the number of games one can attend, many decide to check out and only pay attention to baseball later in the season since the earlier games don't seem to be as important.
2. Other sports (leagues) have grown in popularity
The NBA has grown significantly in popularity in recent decades in the US. Soccer, while not seeing the jump that many predicted, has still grown in the US, signified by the Premier League's presence on NBC and the MLS' presence in many cities. The NHL is still niche, but has grown in many US metro areas over the past two and a half decades. With increased competition for fans, the amount of entertainment dollar being spent on going to MLB games has shrunk.
3. Baseball is not a major part of mainstream US culture
When was the last time you heard a baseball player's name mentioned in a rap song, or any popular single? How many national sports shows are leading in with a baseball story? Probably few if any. With the MLB rarely being mentioned outside of its still substantial die-hard fanbase, the average, casual sports fan is less exposed to it and less likely to go a game.
4. Fewer black American MLB players
Names like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr, and before that, Bob Gibson and Willie Stargell were just a few of the several black American stars in the MLB. In recent decades, for a variety of reasons, the number of black Americans in the majors has dropped. The drop in popularity of baseball amongst blacks has some effect on attendance at the very least.
5. Baseball is a slow sport
In 2017, the average MLB game lasted just over three hours. That's a lot of time, and because the structure of baseball is set up to where the ball is not always in play, for some, this can be slow and frustrating. Many younger people, used to the age of technology where things move by faster, are not as interested in baseball as generations before.
While the MLB will remain quite popular in the US, the drop in attendance for many reasons has to be concerning for years down the road. It will be interesting to see if the MLB can rebound or if attendance becomes a bigger issue.
