The 2023 attendance thread

[Frobby]

Through 10 home dates (end of the Detroit series), attendance was actually down about 1200 from last year (216,213 vs. 217,449).  They’re not completely comparable, because last years’ first 10 included weekend series with both the Yankees and the Red Sox, whereas this year it is was NY and Detroit on the weekends.  Also last year’s first 10 included Opening Day plus two full weekends, while this year Opening Day was on a Friday.   So overall, I’d say attendance is trending up a little in the early going.  Hopefully the team keeps winning and that will help.  

[Going Underground]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Through 10 home dates (end of the Detroit series), attendance was actually down about 1200 from last year (216,213 vs. 217,449).  They’re not completely comparable, because last years’ first 10 included weekend series with both the Yankees and the Red Sox, whereas this year it is was NY and Detroit on the weekends.  Also last year’s first 10 included Opening Day plus two full weekends, while this year Opening Day was on a Friday.   So overall, I’d say attendance is trending up a little in the early going.  Hopefully the team keeps winning and that will help.  

A 300,000 or so increase would be a decent amount  We shall see. Also lost three games to rainouts.Having the Yankees and Mets on back to back weekends in July should also help.. 

[foxfield]

1 hour ago, btdart20 said:

Fenway definitely oozes history.  But it also has a fast food/dive bar grease to it as well.  Old Yankee and Wrigley were comparatively much cleaner.  Nothing like how nice OPACY is though.

I agree, I have been to both. 

[SteveA]

4 hours ago, Roll Tide said:

 

The Orioles are in the midst of a pretty nice stretch. They are playing good baseball and fun to watch. According to the box score there were 11,000 at the game last night. Friday and Sunday were both under 20,000. The crowd per ESPN was 36,000 people. I’m wondering if it was a give away night? 
 

Why do you think the Orioles aren’t drawing?

 

I know it could be a multiple of things that include the problems in the city, the lease not being done, the ownership group, poor staffing/customer service, lack of team. Spending, kids aren’t out of school yet,and overall concession pricing.

 

For me, I want the Angelos family out! Their non spending is a problem IMO. I give Elias credit for the talent base, improvement, ability to identify pitchers that can be developed into effective relievers. But, this team should have spent on an ace and a MOO bat that to build around our young core. Finally, It’s inexcusable that some sort of extension hasn’t been done. And the cost of concessions is just absurd. 

It all starts with the season ticket base drastically diminishing.   You are only going to add so much via walkup.

It appears they sold about 2000 more season tickets this year than last year, based on the crowd at the first Oakland game which is probably the floor for attendance for the year.

That's nice, and also doesn't count those of us who bought "sort-of" season tickets by buying a flex plan, we are sort of half way between season ticket holders and walkups, we get some s.t. holder priveleges and we've already paid, but we don't get added to the total until we get a ticket and go to a game so in that respect we are like walkups.

But to really see a jump in attendance, you need to START with a bigger jump in season ticket base before the season even begins.   2000 isn't going to cut it unless we go up 2000 a year for several years.

The difference between a bad season and a good season might be up to 400K in walkup sales.   But every 1000 extra full season ticket holders gets you 81000 extra fans right there.   

With the Nats being in DC, the issues some folks have with the city, the availability of other entertainment options, and some of the other things you mention, I wonder how many more season ticket holders it is POSSIBLE to attract.   There is also kind of a snowball effect, you get to a point where you have a good # of season ticket holders and they get most of the best seats, so someone feels they HAVE to get a full or partial season ticket plan just to get good seats.   That's how it was in the 90s.   We are nowhere near that being the case now.   So you've got a chicken/egg thing:   people don't NEED to buy season tickets to get good seats, so they don't.   But if we had more season tickets sold we would approach that point and that would lead to people seeing the need to get them as well, and it would snowball.   But we are nowhere near the tipping point to make that happen.

[Surhoffan17]

5 minutes ago, SteveA said:

It all starts with the season ticket base drastically diminishing.   You are only going to add so much via walkup.

It appears they sold about 2000 more season tickets this year than last year, based on the crowd at the first Oakland game which is probably the floor for attendance for the year.

That's nice, and also doesn't count those of us who bought "sort-of" season tickets by buying a flex plan, we are sort of half way between season ticket holders and walkups, we get some s.t. holder priveleges and we've already paid, but we don't get added to the total until we get a ticket and go to a game so in that respect we are like walkups.

But to really see a jump in attendance, you need to START with a bigger jump in season ticket base before the season even begins.   2000 isn't going to cut it unless we go up 2000 a year for several years.

The difference between a bad season and a good season might be up to 400K in walkup sales.   But every 1000 extra full season ticket holders gets you 81000 extra fans right there.   

With the Nats being in DC, the issues some folks have with the city, the availability of other entertainment options, and some of the other things you mention, I wonder how many more season ticket holders it is POSSIBLE to attract.   There is also kind of a snowball effect, you get to a point where you have a good # of season ticket holders and they get most of the best seats, so someone feels they HAVE to get a full or partial season ticket plan just to get good seats.   That's how it was in the 90s.   We are nowhere near that being the case now.   So you've got a chicken/egg thing:   people don't NEED to buy season tickets to get good seats, so they don't.   But if we had more season tickets sold we would approach that point and that would lead to people seeing the need to get them as well, and it would snowball.   But we are nowhere near the tipping point to make that happen.

I agree that a big season will increase attendance the next year, but it felt like in 2012 we recovered much more quickly though it still wasn't great attendance. According to BBREF, we increased by 350K from 2011. Will we see anything comparable this year? I think the economics you mentioned are the main reasons as to possibly why it won't happen that way. Of course, 2022 was just simply a winning season and not a playoff year like 2012 was, so not necessarily a fair comparison.  

[Just Regular]

I hope to see an experiment in middle market fan engagement outcomes of SDP's my steward has invested a billion in a 1-sport town vs. BAL's I've done nothing but hey look, 13 October wins.

For today it's enough the Club is looking like it might indeed be tournament berth competitive.

[osfan83]

1 hour ago, Just Regular said:

I hope to see an experiment in middle market fan engagement outcomes of SDP's my steward has invested a billion in a 1-sport town vs. BAL's I've done nothing but hey look, 13 October wins.

For today it's enough the Club is looking like it might indeed be tournament berth competitive.

I have no idea what you are saying.....is it just me? 

[Just Regular]

Just now, osfan83 said:

I have no idea what you are saying.....is it just me? 

13 October wins is a World Series championship for a wildcard team.     John Angelos might trounce Peter Seidler at Revenue Curated / Expenditure Invested, the owner's flavor of $$$/WAR.

[Going Underground]

1 hour ago, SteveA said:

It all starts with the season ticket base drastically diminishing.   You are only going to add so much via walkup.

It appears they sold about 2000 more season tickets this year than last year, based on the crowd at the first Oakland game which is probably the floor for attendance for the year.

That's nice, and also doesn't count those of us who bought "sort-of" season tickets by buying a flex plan, we are sort of half way between season ticket holders and walkups, we get some s.t. holder priveleges and we've already paid, but we don't get added to the total until we get a ticket and go to a game so in that respect we are like walkups.

But to really see a jump in attendance, you need to START with a bigger jump in season ticket base before the season even begins.   2000 isn't going to cut it unless we go up 2000 a year for several years.

The difference between a bad season and a good season might be up to 400K in walkup sales.   But every 1000 extra full season ticket holders gets you 81000 extra fans right there.   

With the Nats being in DC, the issues some folks have with the city, the availability of other entertainment options, and some of the other things you mention, I wonder how many more season ticket holders it is POSSIBLE to attract.   There is also kind of a snowball effect, you get to a point where you have a good # of season ticket holders and they get most of the best seats, so someone feels they HAVE to get a full or partial season ticket plan just to get good seats.   That's how it was in the 90s.   We are nowhere near that being the case now.   So you've got a chicken/egg thing:   people don't NEED to buy season tickets to get good seats, so they don't.   But if we had more season tickets sold we would approach that point and that would lead to people seeing the need to get them as well, and it would snowball.   But we are nowhere near the tipping point to make that happen.

The city is getting many concerts lately. CFG Arena keeps adding shows..Lyric has some shows added to some performers because of ticket demands. Even the Jonad Brothers are doing a surprise concert at a small venue.Only three shows like this in the country. Tickets are now going for around $700.00 but might be worth it. Never could decide my favorite Jonas brother  But the Orioles play 81 games and not a one time concert event,so people won't rush flock downtown for the Orioles.

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, osfan83 said:

I have no idea what you are saying.....is it just me? 

  I enjoy reading @Just Regular's posts.  He's a trend spotter for sure.  Much better than the posturing and ad hominins.

[interloper]

2 hours ago, osfan83 said:

I have no idea what you are saying.....is it just me? 

Each Just Regular post is like a riddle. You sort of have to turn it over in your brain a few times before it starts to make sense. Most unique writing style on the board, and most of the time I enjoy it. Other times it feels like I'm having a stroke lol 

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, Surhoffan17 said:

I agree that a big season will increase attendance the next year, but it felt like in 2012 we recovered much more quickly though it still wasn't great attendance. According to BBREF, we increased by 350K from 2011. Will we see anything comparable this year? I think the economics you mentioned are the main reasons as to possibly why it won't happen that way. Of course, 2022 was just simply a winning season and not a playoff year like 2012 was, so not necessarily a fair comparison.  

I’d say 350 k is about the biggest increase the O’s could hope for this year, and that probably would require a 90+ win season and a close playoff race.  An increase of 200 k is probably more realistic.  I think four years of truly awful baseball will take a while to recover from.  

[Ohfan67]

Curious…how many if y’all have been to a game at Camden Yards this year? I think inset if attendance by Oriole hangout we’d had increased? I live far away so not an option for me so far this year. 

[Ohfan67]

11 minutes ago, Ohfan67 said:

Curious…how many if y’all have been to a game at Camden Yards this year? I think inset if attendance by Oriole hangout we’d had increased? I live far away so not an option for me so far this year. 

Holy crap! I swear I’m not drunk but that is one messed up post. 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Ohfan67 said:

Curious…how many if y’all have been to a game at Camden Yards this year? I think inset if attendance by Oriole hangout we’d had increased? I live far away so not an option for me so far this year. 

I’ve been twice.  Both were wins!