FC Dallas delivered bang for the buck, DC United didn’t: MLS Fan Cost Index

The global football community is all eyes on the World Cup in Qatar, with the US domestic top league completing its 27th season a month ago.

Major League Soccer is still trying to turn a profit overall, and while it ranks third in U.S. TV viewership of football behind Mexico’s Liga MX and England’s Premier League, its cost I grew up to surpass baseball. Take your family to the game.

The assessment is based on data released this week by Chicago-based sports business intelligence firm Team Marketing Reports (TMR). The Team Marketing Report (TMR) researches and publishes the Fan Cost Index (FCI) for many major US sports. A math explanation and basic FCI charts for each team can be found at the end of this article.

According to the latest Major League Soccer FCI, it will cost an average of $300.72 to bring a family or group of four to a game during the 2022 regular season. This is up from his $250.40 at the first and last public MLS FCI in May 2019. At the time, the league had 24 teams, four fewer than it does today.

The 2022 FCI in Major League Baseball was $256. Three years ago, when the last MLS FCI was calculated, baseball’s FCI was $234. So MLB jumped 9.4% and MLS jumped 20%.

Here’s a comparison of the five American major leagues in terms of fan costs:

As we did with the other Fan Cost Indexes, we calculated the numbers against each team’s final win-loss draw record to determine the best and worst clubs for fans wanting to see the contenders.

And as with all FCI analysis, it’s important to note that people enter matches for a variety of reasons. From cheering for the team you want to play against or expect to play against, to meeting your favorite player, to coming to the stadium for a good time. It could be work or a business trip, a date, a family gathering, or the ticket was free.

One more note: teams with low win/loss records are fun, but some winners are boring. Also, MLS clubs have 34 regular season games, MLB teams have 162 games, NBA and NHL teams have his 82 games, and NFL clubs have his 17 games schedule.

Next, let’s talk about the highest and worst values. And let’s start with the new kids on the block.

Expansion team Charlotte FC’s first year in the league has been costly. His FCI of around $378 for the club made him the second highest among the 28 teams. In the end, he won them all, with only Los Angeles FC going as high as $395. This is 11% of last year (TMR was collecting data last year as well, but the report was not made public) and could rise further next season to take advantage of the club’s first championship. There is a nature.

MLS Cup runners-up Philadelphia Union increased their fan costs by 22%, the most of any club this season, ranking sixth at the $336 FCI.

The next largest year-over-year increase in fan costs was $297, a 21% increase by the Seattle Sounders, who missed the playoffs. In his third season with Inter Miami he earned 17% and he earned $348, but lost in the first round playoffs.

The cheapest MLS team was FC Dallas at $201. That was $50 less than the next lowest team, Orlando City FC. And it’s Dallas’ price increase due to his 2% overall FCI price hike, which fans say is his third-highest standing in the Western Conference, the team he scored 53 points. was able to see

The worst deals for fans looking to see the winner include Charlotte FC and DC United. Both are top 5 fan cost but not playoff teams. DC United, in particular, were a poor deal, finishing with a 7-21-6 record and a whopping -35 goal difference. Both are the worst in the league.

Overall, 24 teams increased prices, adding 7.2% to overall MLS MCI. One club remained flat (the New York Red Bulls), two saw his FCI decrease overall, and Charlotte as an expansion team was clearly unchanged.

Other than the normal increased cost of doing business, what drives MLS fan prices?

Inflation, according to Chris Hartweg, publisher of the Team Marketing Report.

“These increases come with inflation hitting 8% this summer, but interestingly they are much higher than the 2022 MLB FCI and 2022 NFL FCI gains. . analysis.

MLS increased non-premium ticket prices by an average of 7.2% compared to 2021. Baseball tickets were up an average of 3.6% year-over-year, while soccer tickets were up 4.8% on average.

“Of course, MLS venues, which are not all team-controlled, have been more aggressive in raising concession prices than baseball and football venues,” Hartweg wrote.

The Team Marketing Report explains how the MLS Fan Cost Index is calculated and how it differs from the other four major leagues in the United States. 4 sodas, 4 hot dogs, 2 beers, 2 souvenirs (team scarves for MLS, adjustable team hats for other sports), parking nearby.

Another difference in this year’s MLS FCI is the inclusion of Fan Costs for Supporter Sections/Groups. This usually includes discounted tickets. His FCI average of $238 for his MLS supporters this season is more than $62 less than he costs traditional fans.

The full dataset from TMR, including cost details for supporters, is online (for subscription). here.

Major League Soccer Launches 10-Year, $2.5 Billion Global Media Rights Deal, Putting All Games Behind Streaming Paywalls Via Apple TV, How Fan Costs Will Change Next Season It is interesting to monitor whether .

Will MLS games soon become unavailable like ESPN and Fox Goose attendance figures and revenue? The league’s reputation will suffer as it competes with other major leagues and rival soccer leagues for headlines and discretionary income Is it?

We’ll know in a year or two.

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(Photo: Kevin Jairaj/USA Today)