Giants attendance drops along with most MLB teams
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Average attendance for Giants games at Oracle Park was down 6.2% heading into last month's All Star break compared to the same time period in 2019.
Why it matters: The Giants need the fan support. With a record of 51-51, they're currently four games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League's final playoff spot.
- Plus, with downtown San Francisco's struggles to bring office workers back, the center city can use events like baseball games to help fuel economic activity in the area.
Yes, but: The Giants are not alone.
- 23 of 30 MLB teams have seen attendance drop this season — a league-wide decrease of 6.4%.
- The Oakland A's saw the steepest decline at 54.6%.
State of play, via Axios Sports' Jeff Tracy: Season-ticket sales are down 10% this year across the MLB, to which the league's chief revenue officer attributes much of the decline, per Sportico.
- That makes sense: Some fans may have soured on the league after the 99-day lockout, and money's tight with inflation at a 40-year high.
- If the trends hold, it would be the fifth consecutive, non-pandemic-restricted season with declining attendance.
What they're saying: "Fan engagement is not only measured by the attendance in our building," Mario Alioto, the Giants' executive vice president of business operations, told Axios San Francisco.
- "But with that said, part of our goal now is [figuring out] — how do all of us get back to going to live events like we did pre-pandemic?"
What's next: Good deals help.
- For this week's series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants are offering a "Family 4-Pack" of tickets for $79.
- The deal expires today at 10am.