NHL vs NBA Attendance 2010-2011

Konnan511

#RetireHronek17
Sponsor
Jul 29, 2008
9,557
3,244
Sarasota, FL
Total attendance:
NBA - 21,302,573
NHL - 20,928,036

Average attendance:
NBA - 17,319
NHL - 17,122

Percentage Full Average:
NBA - 90.52
NHL - 92.68
 

AdmiralsFan24

Registered User
Mar 22, 2011
14,979
3,896
Wisconsin
It's just hard for me to take attendance listed in box scores seriously. For example, I'll just use the Bucks since I see them play a lot and the only NHL games where I live are games with really popular teams that always sell out on VS or NBC and select Wild games who are always near selling out.

This is a game against the Cavs. The listed attendance is 12,497 at the Bradley Center. That would mean that the Bradley Center would be 66.7% full. These aren't going to be the best pictures but they should show why you have to take listed attendance with a grain of salt.

2hzltn4.jpg


102wklw.jpg


When you consider over half the seating at the Bradley Center is in the upper bowl and it shows that there were several almost near empty sections plus the lower bowl not even being close to completely full it kind of makes attendance a joke. I know that's the number of people that actually bought tickets but it's not even close to the number of people that actually showed up.

For reference. Here's a picture of an Admirals game in the same building with a listed attendance of 12,627.

photoLarge.jpg
 

MayDay

Registered User
Oct 21, 2005
12,661
1,146
Pleasantville, NY
Total attendance:
NBA - 21,302,573
NHL - 20,928,036

Average attendance:
NBA - 17,319
NHL - 17,122

Percentage Full Average:
NBA - 90.52
NHL - 92.68

I'd imagine that much of the difference can be accounted for in the additional seating that can be placed courtside for NBA games, increasing capacity, in arenas that host both sports.
 

um

Registered User
Sep 4, 2008
15,696
5,292
toronto
Terrible for both...but better for the Hawks. I'd have to wager the Hawks average ticket price is higher (possibly only slightly) than the Thrashers.

Than

This might be a trend....and most people know a basketball court is smaller than an NHL ice-surface.

NBA - 2
NHL - 0

NBA - 3
NHL - 0

Joe Louis is WAY closer to the Canadian Border than the Palace of Auburn Hills is. If the Red Wings played at the Palace and the Pistons played at the Joe.....both would stink.
NBA - 3
NHL - 1

NBA - 4
NHL - 1
(Nobody counts the Clippers)

I gotta figure the attendance for the Heat has ALWAYS averaged higher than that of the Panthers.
NBA - 5
NHL - 1

A market in which the NHL had abandoned already......
NBA - 5
NHL - 2

Both attendances are terrible....nobody gets points. Brutal overall.

Even for the Knicks/Rangers.....a negative one for the Islanders.
NBA - 5
NHL - 2

Good hockey market.

NBA - 5
NHL - 3

This should be a negative for the NHL and a positive for the NBA....but I'll leave it as one for the NBA.
NBA - 6
NHL - 3

Doesn't count. You could put any sport in Toronto (including a 2nd NHL team) and it wouldn't come anywhere close to the Leafs. This is too unique of a market to award the "NHL" points for it.
NBA - 6
NHL - 3

It's a shakey market...but I'll give the point to the NHL.
NBA - 6
NHL - 4

I got 6 to 4. And the NBA is in a free-fall according to a lot of the media. So....YAY! The NHL is in reach of the NBA....even though the NBA is doing mediocre at best!

Edit: I should be fair. My point of opinion is that the NBA is declining and they are fighting to stop it. Claiming the NHL is comparable to the NBA isn't a good thing. It does nothing but prove the NHL is fighting to catch-up to the NBA that is falling. And that the NHL still has yet to catch up....even though the NBA is running in place waiting.

you got 6 to 4 cause you didnt count new jersey or toronto you must count all cities with multiple teams
 

Konnan511

#RetireHronek17
Sponsor
Jul 29, 2008
9,557
3,244
Sarasota, FL
I'd imagine that much of the difference can be accounted for in the additional seating that can be placed courtside for NBA games, increasing capacity, in arenas that host both sports.

I think if that were the case, you'd see NBA have a higher percent attendance than their 90%?
 

worstfaceoffmanever

These Snacks Are Odd
Jun 2, 2007
12,948
4
Fargo, ND
I think if that were the case, you'd see NBA have a higher percent attendance than their 90%?

No. If the NBA and NHL are selling similar numbers of tickets, but the NBA has more seats to fill (which they do), its percentages would be lower.

On a related note, I as a soccer fan find it heartwarming to see MLS matching the attendance of the NHL and NBA on a regular basis now. They're at 17,350 on the average coming into this week's slate of games, the best they've had since their first season 15 years ago. The bulk of the growth that has gone on has been in the last seven or eight years, which makes it even more impressive what they have been able to achieve.
 

HookeyPookey*

Guest
NHL is the better product but less ubiquitous due to pricing and the fact you need gear etc.

Serious question will Americans ever 'embrace' a game that is not their own. Not all but the majority strike me as far to xenophobic to do that. The stronger markets seem to be where there has been more time eg: rangers, bruins etc or some significant success eg: flyers.
 

Roomtemperature

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
5,846
683
New Jersey
Terrible for both...but better for the Hawks. I'd have to wager the Hawks average ticket price is higher (possibly only slightly) than the Thrashers.


A market in which the NHL had abandoned already......
NBA - 5
NHL - 2

Both attendances are terrible....nobody gets points. Brutal overall.



Doesn't count. You could put any sport in Toronto (including a 2nd NHL team) and it wouldn't come anywhere close to the Leafs. This is too unique of a market to award the "NHL" points for it.
NBA - 6
NHL - 3


I got 6 to 4. And the NBA is in a free-fall according to a lot of the media. So....YAY! The NHL is in reach of the NBA....even though the NBA is doing mediocre at best!

Edit: I should be fair. My point of opinion is that the NBA is declining and they are fighting to stop it. Claiming the NHL is comparable to the NBA isn't a good thing. It does nothing but prove the NHL is fighting to catch-up to the NBA that is falling. And that the NHL still has yet to catch up....even though the NBA is running in place waiting.

I like how you give the NBA a point for a weak Atlanta attendance win but dismiss NJ's. And if you want to say you are just counting American victories ok just say it instead of giving LA a win where the same could be said about the Lakers and LA.
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
21,890
6,905
Toronto
NHL is the better product but less ubiquitous due to pricing and the fact you need gear etc.

Serious question will Americans ever 'embrace' a game that is not their own. Not all but the majority strike me as far to xenophobic to do that. The stronger markets seem to be where there has been more time eg: rangers, bruins etc or some significant success eg: flyers.

Ofcourse, they'll just rewrite history and claim it was played there 1st.
:laugh:
 

Konnan511

#RetireHronek17
Sponsor
Jul 29, 2008
9,557
3,244
Sarasota, FL
No. If the NBA and NHL are selling similar numbers of tickets, but the NBA has more seats to fill (which they do), its percentages would be lower.

On a related note, I as a soccer fan find it heartwarming to see MLS matching the attendance of the NHL and NBA on a regular basis now. They're at 17,350 on the average coming into this week's slate of games, the best they've had since their first season 15 years ago. The bulk of the growth that has gone on has been in the last seven or eight years, which makes it even more impressive what they have been able to achieve.

Not hard to get that attendance number when you're playing at a football stadium and your tickets are only a dollar :p
 

Nashvols

Registered User
Jun 8, 2011
1,726
33
Nashville
On a related note, I as a soccer fan find it heartwarming to see MLS matching the attendance of the NHL and NBA on a regular basis now. They're at 17,350 on the average coming into this week's slate of games, the best they've had since their first season 15 years ago. The bulk of the growth that has gone on has been in the last seven or eight years, which makes it even more impressive what they have been able to achieve.

Sure, they're matching in average attendance, but not overall. It's easy to match average attendance when you consider how few games they play. It's the same with the NFL. It's not as hard to fill up 70,000 seats 8 times as it is to fill 18,000 41 times.
 

ClassLessCoyote

Staying classy
Jun 10, 2009
30,112
277
I stopped paying attention to these attendence numbers along time ago since these numbers are not a great indicator of overall interest of a team especially since these numbers are often hacked and put into a spin.

1. These numbers are based on paid attendence and not actual attendence.
2. These numbers are based more on regular season play and not including preseason and playoff play.
 

Flamesfatigue

Registered User
Nov 13, 2011
1
0
I was surprised at the analysis of Detroit's attendance and particularly the following comment: "With the way the economy is in Detroit, you can clearly see the allegiance of this city/state is with the NHL." The comment seems to overlook the large number of southwestern Ontarians who drive across the river to watch the Red Wings.
 

OttawaRoughRiderFan*

Guest
Total attendance:
NBA - 21,302,573
NHL - 20,928,036

Average attendance:
NBA - 17,319
NHL - 17,122

Percentage Full Average:
NBA - 90.52
NHL - 92.68

You could not pay me to watch an NBA game but there are nights, during the highlights on SportsCentre, when there is NO ONE in the stands.
 

ouendan1

Registered User
Mar 14, 2009
284
31
Las Vegas
just to point out that a sellout for the LA Kings at Staples is 18,118. There are more seats put in for Lakers/Clippers games. so their average attendance last year, 18,061 is really at 99.6%

Also it will be noted this year that LA had two "home" games in Germany this year, so whatever attendance those two games had are being factored in to their average attendance. They have sold out all but 1 of their true home games at Staples Center so far this season.
 

ShootIt

Registered User
Nov 8, 2008
17,790
4,571
For how pathetic the Panthers were last year, I'm surprised at how high of a # they got.
 

CorbeauNoir

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
922
143
attendance is similar in most cities, yet people will use totally different arguments for the two sports like "hockey doesnt work in the south". with the NBA team its just "everyone hates the owners" or "the team has been terrible for a long time"

The difference comes from TV ratings, at which point the NBA crushes the NHL. A difference of 1000-odd people between the two for arena attendance becomes relatively small peanuts.
 

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