The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top-tier professional women's soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2013, the 2019 season, the last before COVID-19, saw an average 7,337 spectators among the 9 teams, the highest average attendance in league history. Its overall attendance in 2019 was also its highest ever, with 792,409 total. The overall attendance record was broken in the 2022 season, the first since 2019 to be relatively unaffected by COVID-19, with a total of 1,042,063. However, the per-game record from 2019 remains intact; the league had 10 teams in 2019 but expanded to 12 for 2022. The NWSL has the highest average attendance per game among all women's professional sports leagues in the United States.

NWSL attendance has grown since the league's inaugural season in 2013. The per-game average attendance of 7,337 in 2019 was a 21.8% increase over the previous record of 6,024 set in 2018. The 2019 average was a 71.8% increase over the 4,270 average in the league's inaugural 2013 season, a growth rate of 9.4% per year. The total attendance in 2019 was a 111% increase over the 375,763 total in 2013, a growth rate of 13.2% per year.

Fans celebrating after a goal in Portland, Oregon.
The Portland Thorns' average regular-season attendance in 2019 was 20,098 fans.

Season averages

SeasonTotal GateGamesAverageChangeHigh avg.[lower-alpha 1]TeamLow avg.TeamRef.
2013375,763884,270—13,320Portland Thorns FC1,664Sky Blue FC[1]
2014446,8201084,137−3.1%13,362Portland Thorns FC1,640Sky Blue FC[2]
2015454,100905,04621.9%15,639Portland Thorns FC2,189Sky Blue FC[3]
2016555,7751005,55810.1%16,945Portland Thorns FC2,162Sky Blue FC[4]
2017609,9601205,083−8.5%17,653Portland Thorns FC1,788FC Kansas City[5]
2018650,5641086,02418.5%16,959Portland Thorns FC2,531Sky Blue FC[6]
2019792,4091087,33721.8%20,098Portland Thorns FC3,338Sky Blue FC[7]
2021592,074116[lower-alpha 2]5,528[8]−30.5%12,555Portland Thorns FC3,143Chicago Red Stars[9]
20221,042,0631327,89442.8%19,105Angel City FC4,385Orlando Pride[8]
20231,366,58113210,43232.2%20,718San Diego Wave FC4,848Chicago Red Stars[10]
  1. ↑ Green shading indicates record highs; red shading indicates record lows.
  2. ↑ Portland Thorns FC did not report two matches during a period of capacity restrictions related to COVID-19 pandemic safety policies: versus Louisville on June 5, and Kansas City on June 20. Two further matches (Washington at Portland on September 4, and OL Reign at Washington on September 12) were declared by the league to be forfeits against Washington due to violations of the league's COVID safety protocols and were not played.

By team

SeasonBOSCHIFCKCHOUKCCLALOUNCNJYORLPORRGNSDUTAWASWNY
2013[11]2,4271,7114,626—————1,666—13,3202,306——3,6254,485
2014[12]2,4372,9492,0184,650--——--1,656--13,3623,666——3,3353,177
2015[13]2,8634,2103,0916,413--——--2,189--15,6394,060——4,0872,860
2016[14]3,5703,0053,1625,696--——--2,1628,78516,9454,602—--3,7823,868
2017[5]2,8963,1961,7884,578--——4,3892,6136,18617,6534,037—--3,491--
2018[6]—4,368—3,896--——5,1292,5314,83716,9593,824—9,4663,892—
2019[7]—5,451—3,615--——5,8753,3385,56520,0985,213—10,7746,105—
2021[9]—3,143—3,3864,837—6,6104,9863,7934,22712,5555,240——4,130—
2022[8]—5,863—5,6447,65719,1056,0484,5454,4154,38515,5436,8448,729—5,955—
2023[10]—4,848—5,85711,35319,7565,9995,3846,2936,00518,91813,61020,718—10,876—

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.

League Year
started		 Sport Teams Games
played		 Season Attendance Ref.
Average Average vs.
prior season		 Total
National Women's Soccer League 2013Soccer12132202310,432+32.2%1,366,581[10]
Women's National Basketball Association 1996Basketball1221620225,679+115.4%[lower-alpha 1]1,219,608[15]
Liga MX Femenil 2016Soccer18[lower-alpha 2]3062023 Clausura2,483+23.8%367,442[16]
National Pro Fastpitch 2004Fastpitch5722015[lower-alpha 3]1,128+26%~135,360 [17]
Premier Hockey Federation[lower-alpha 4] 2015Ice hockey4602016–17900 [18]
  1. ↑ 2021 had low attendance due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports.
  2. ↑ As the consequence of a riot, Querétaro played its first four home matches of the Clausura behind closed doors.
  3. ↑ NPF had 6 teams for its 2016 & 2017 seasons, though attendance numbers for those are not available. Defunct in 2022.
  4. ↑ Known as the National Women's Hockey League before the 2021–22 season. Defunct after the 2022 season.

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.

League Year
started		 Division Teams Matches
played		 Season Attendance Ref.
Average Average vs.
prior season		 Total
Liga MX 1943Men's DI18[lower-alpha 1]1532023 Clausura23,160+12.8%3,450,854[16]
Major League Soccer 1996Men's DI28476202221,033-1.4%[lower-alpha 2]10,011,578[19]
National Women's Soccer League 2013Women's DI12132202310,432+32.2%1,366,581[10]
USL Championship[lower-alpha 3] 2011Men's DII2747220227,622+44.5%[lower-alpha 2]1,983,922[20]
Canadian Premier League 2019Men's DI811220223,176-34.7%[lower-alpha 2]355,696[21]
Liga MX Femenil 2016Women's DI18[lower-alpha 1]3062023 Clausura2,483+23.8%367,442[16]
USL League One 2019Men's DIII1117020222,203+13.3%[lower-alpha 2]359,107[22]
  1. 1 2 As the consequence of a riot, Querétaro played its first four home matches of the Clausura behind closed doors.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Compared to 2019, the last previous season unaffected by COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions.
  3. ↑ Known as the United Soccer League before the 2019 season.

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.

LeagueYear StartedNation# TeamsSeasonAverage
attendance		Average vs.
prior season		Total
Attendance		Ref
National Women's Soccer League2013United States12202310,432+32.2%1,366,581[10]
FA WSL 12011England112019–203,072[23]
Liga MX Femenil2017Mexico162017 Apertura2,743NA~307,200[24]
W-League2008Australia92017–182,139116,290[25]
Frauen-Bundesliga1990Germany122016–17835−22.4%110,642

Individual game highest attendance

Regular season

As of October 6, 2023
Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Venue Location Date Ref.
—OL Reign0–2Portland Thorns FC42,054*Lumen FieldSeattle, WashingtonJune 3, 2023[26]
1OL Reign0–0Washington Spirit34,130Lumen FieldSeattle, WashingtonOctober 6, 2023[27]
2San Diego Wave FC1–0Angel City FC32,000†Snapdragon StadiumSan Diego, CaliforniaSeptember 17, 2022[28]
3San Diego Wave FC3–2Chicago Red Stars30,854Snapdragon StadiumSan Diego, CaliforniaMarch 25, 2023[29]
—OL Reign2–1Portland Thorns FC27,278*Lumen FieldSeattle, WashingtonAugust 29, 2021[30][31]
4Portland Thorns FC2–1North Carolina Courage25,218†Providence ParkPortland, OregonAugust 11, 2019[32]
Portland Thorns FC2–0OL Reign25,218†Providence ParkPortland, OregonSeptember 16, 2023[33]
6Portland Thorns FC0–0Washington Spirit24,521Providence ParkPortland, OregonOctober 12, 2019[34]
—Chicago Red Stars0–1San Diego Wave FC23,951*Soldier FieldChicago, IllinoisJuly 30, 2022[35][36]
7Orlando Pride3–1Houston Dash23,403Citrus BowlOrlando, FloridaApril 23, 2016[37][38]
8Portland Thorns FC5–0Houston Dash22,329Providence ParkPortland, OregonJuly 24, 2019[39]
9Angel City FC2–1North Carolina Courage22,000†Banc of California StadiumLos Angeles, CaliforniaApril 29, 2022[40]
Angel City FC2–1San Diego Wave FC22,000†Banc of California StadiumLos Angeles, CaliforniaJuly 9, 2022[40]
Angel City FC2–3OL Reign22,000†Banc of California StadiumLos Angeles, CaliforniaJuly 30, 2022[40]
Angel City FC1–3Racing Louisville FC22,000†Banc of California StadiumLos Angeles, CaliforniaSeptember 25, 2022[41]
Angel City FC1–2NJ/NY Gotham FC22,000†BMO StadiumLos Angeles, CaliforniaMarch 26, 2023[42]
Angel City FC0–2San Diego Wave FC22,000†BMO StadiumLos Angeles, CaliforniaApril 23, 2023[43]

* indicates part of a doubleheader with other teams; not included in rank
† sellout

Playoffs

As of November 5, 2023
Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Venue Date Stage Ref.
1San Diego Wave FC0–1OL Reign32,262Snapdragon StadiumNovember 5, 2023Semifinal[44]
2San Diego Wave FC2–1 (a.e.t.)Chicago Red Stars26,215Snapdragon StadiumOctober 16, 2022Quarterfinal[45]
3Portland Thorns FC2–1San Diego Wave FC22,035Providence ParkOctober 23, 2022Semifinal[46]
4OL Reign0–2Kansas City Current21,491Lumen FieldOctober 23, 2022Semifinal[47]
5Houston Dash1–2Kansas City Current21,284†PNC StadiumOctober 16, 2022Quarterfinal[45]
6Portland Thorns FC*0–3North Carolina Courage21,144†Providence ParkSeptember 22, 2018Final[48][49]
7Portland Thorns FC3–4Western New York Flash20,086Providence ParkOctober 2, 2016Semifinal[50]
8Portland Thorns FC4–1Orlando Pride18,193Providence ParkOctober 7, 2017Semifinal[51]
9Portland Thorns FC*2–0Kansas City Current17,624Audi FieldOctober 29, 2022Final[52]
10Portland Thorns FC0–2Chicago Red Stars15,832Providence ParkNovember 14, 2021Semifinal[53]

* indicates "home" team in predetermined venue for championship final
† Sellout

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Taking Attendance 8/18/2013: Final NWSL Attendance Numbers". Kenn.com. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ Gerhke, Sarah (September 30, 2014). "NWSL: Breaking down 2014 attendance numbers, part I". Soccerwire. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  3. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (September 11, 2015). "National Women's Soccer League sees record attendance numbers in third season". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  4. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (November 16, 2016). "National Women's Soccer League once again saw rising attendance numbers in 2016". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "2017 NWSL Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  6. 1 2 "2018 NWSL Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "2019 NWSL Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 "2022 NWSL Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "2021 NWSL Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "2023 NWSL Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  11. ↑ "2013 NWSL Statistics". Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2014 NWSL Statistics". Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  13. ↑ "2015 NWSL Statistics". Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  14. ↑ "2016 NWSL Statistics". Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Yearly Attendance by Team". Across the Timeline. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 "Asistencia" [Attendance]. Liga MX. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023.
  17. ↑ "A Look Back At The NPF Year 2015". NPF. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ↑ "Will Female Pro-Hockey Players Ever Get What They're Worth?". Yahoo. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  19. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (October 13, 2022). "Crowd Count: MLS attendance tops 10 million for first time". Soccer America. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  20. ↑ "2022 USL Championship Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. October 17, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Schedule". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  22. ↑ "2022 USL League One Attendance". Soccer Stadium Digest. October 15, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  23. ↑ Frith, Wilf (June 11, 2020). "Gameplan for Growth: doubling the fanbase of the women's game". SheKicks. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  24. ↑ @GlennMoore7 (December 29, 2017). "New @WorldSoccerMag column looks at..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ "De Vanna dramatics send Sydney to Grand Final for showdown with Melbourne City". February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  26. ↑ Evans, Jayda (June 3, 2023). "OL Reign lose to Thorns for first time since 2019 to cap soccer twinbill". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  27. ↑ Anderson, Jason (October 6, 2023). "OL Reign sets standalone NWSL attendance record for Rapinoe farewell game". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  28. ↑ "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. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  29. ↑ "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. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Match Recap: Reign Earn Hard Fought 2–1 Win Against Portland" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  31. ↑ Evans, Jayda (August 28, 2021). "Sounders, Reign play hosts at unique doubleheader Sunday at Lumen Field". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  32. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (August 11, 2019). "Portland Thorns fight back to earn massive 2–1 win over North Carolina Courage in front of record-setting crowd". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Sugita, Weaver goals see Portland to Cascadia clash win over OL Reign". National Women's Soccer League. September 17, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  34. ↑ Levine, Matthew (October 12, 2019). "Portland Thorns FC and Washington Spirit play to a 0–0 draw". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Chicago Red Stars vs. San Diego Wave FC – Football Match Summary". ESPN. July 30, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  36. ↑ Sandalow, Brian (July 30, 2022). "Saturday's doubleheader only part of Fire-Red Stars relationship". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  37. ↑ Rosenblatt, Ryan (April 23, 2016). "Orlando Pride set NWSL attendance record in first ever home match". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  38. ↑ Stejskal, Sam (April 25, 2016). "Orlando Pride set new NWSL attendance record in inaugural home match". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  39. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (July 24, 2019). "Portland Thorns rout Houston Dash 5–0 as U.S. Women's National Team players make return to Providence Park". Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  40. 1 2 3 "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  41. ↑ "Stats: Angel City FC vs. Racing Louisville FC". National Women's Soccer League. September 25, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Purce, Williams deliver Gotham FC comeback victory over Angel City". National Women's Soccer League. March 26, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  43. ↑ "San Diego turns tide against Angel City in shutout win". National Women's Soccer League. April 23, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  44. ↑ Kraasovic, Tom (November 5, 2023). "Stunning goal sinks San Diego Wave's season in NWSL semifinals". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  45. 1 2 Linehan, Meg (October 16, 2022). "KC Current, San Diego Wave FC advance to NWSL semifinals". The Athletic.
  46. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  47. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  48. ↑ "Courage cap off record-setting season with NWSL Championship win". National Women's Soccer League. October 8, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  49. ↑ Yang, Meg Linehan and Steph. "This week in NWSL chaos: Current, Wave make it a good day for water in the quarterfinals". The Athletic.
  50. ↑ "Flash beat Thorns FC, 4–3, in extra time". National Women's Soccer League. October 2, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  51. ↑ "NWSL Playoffs Match Recap: Portland Thorns FC 4, Orlando Pride 1". Portland Thorns FC. October 7, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  52. ↑ "First team to three stars". Portland Thorns FC.
  53. ↑ Sepich, Scott (November 14, 2021). "Portland Thorns can't break through as Chicago Red Stars win 2–0, advance to NWSL championship". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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