TellItToTheDA
05-27-2012, 05:03 PM
It's true.
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/038/attendance.aspx?team=038
Through 22 home games last year, 19,187 per game. This year? 20,781.
Now, this was so surprising to me, being nearly 2,000 per game ahead of last year's pace, that I went into the schedules and looked a little deeper. When we compare, here's what we find:
- Through 22 games, the Mariners have played three more weekend (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) games, 12, compared to last year, 9.
- Same number of bobblehead nights (2), though they haven't been the same draw this year, as evidenced by a fewer than 20,000 showing for Ichiro bobblehead night.
- The first King's Court game wasn't until May 28th last year, which was Game 25, so the presence of the King's Court this season may have upped attendance for his four non-Opening Day starts.
- Both Train Car Night and Turn Back the Clock Night were about a month earlier this season so therefore not reflected in the 2011 figures, and the latter drew much better than it did last year (29,483 vs. 23,616).
- The Mariners played at home on Mother's Day last season, but not this season.
- The Mariners have been buoyed by three Sunday Little League Days this season, while only having had one at this point last year.
- There were two weekday matinee games (12:40 start time) at this point last year (and three through Game 23), compared to just one this season.
So basically, what we can gather is that marketing has continued to do an outstanding job for this franchise, and a combination of earlier promotions, and more weekend games thus far has contributed to the attendance uptick. Looking ahead the rest of the way, here's what to keep an eye on:
- The Mariners are away on Memorial Day, unlike last year, but have home games on the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. They also play at home on Father's Day, as they did last year with outstanding results (45,462 on hand against the Phillies. My assumption is that the Giants won't draw as well, especially as the game isn't also a Little League day as it was last year).
- This year, while the Mariners have had two more Little League Days compared to this point last year, have added a fourth one to their schedule, compared to last year when there were only three.
- The King's Court will continue to be the draw it has been all season.
- The team still has five more of those weekday matinee games this year, compared to three during the summer last year.
- Of the three series against the Red Sox/Yankees, only one is a weekend series, June 29-July 1 against Boston. Last season had two of these weekend series, one against the Yankees and one against the Red Sox.
- The team still has two more bobblehead nights, July 27th vs. KC (RJ and Dan dual bobblehead) and August 17th vs. Minnesota (Felix), where the same span last year had just one.
- Overall, interleague games should have the same draw, I think the Dodgers and Giants will have the same appeal the Phillies and Braves did last year.
Forgive me if I've bored you all at all, but I love to geek out over attendance figures, and what drives them.
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/038/attendance.aspx?team=038
Through 22 home games last year, 19,187 per game. This year? 20,781.
Now, this was so surprising to me, being nearly 2,000 per game ahead of last year's pace, that I went into the schedules and looked a little deeper. When we compare, here's what we find:
- Through 22 games, the Mariners have played three more weekend (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) games, 12, compared to last year, 9.
- Same number of bobblehead nights (2), though they haven't been the same draw this year, as evidenced by a fewer than 20,000 showing for Ichiro bobblehead night.
- The first King's Court game wasn't until May 28th last year, which was Game 25, so the presence of the King's Court this season may have upped attendance for his four non-Opening Day starts.
- Both Train Car Night and Turn Back the Clock Night were about a month earlier this season so therefore not reflected in the 2011 figures, and the latter drew much better than it did last year (29,483 vs. 23,616).
- The Mariners played at home on Mother's Day last season, but not this season.
- The Mariners have been buoyed by three Sunday Little League Days this season, while only having had one at this point last year.
- There were two weekday matinee games (12:40 start time) at this point last year (and three through Game 23), compared to just one this season.
So basically, what we can gather is that marketing has continued to do an outstanding job for this franchise, and a combination of earlier promotions, and more weekend games thus far has contributed to the attendance uptick. Looking ahead the rest of the way, here's what to keep an eye on:
- The Mariners are away on Memorial Day, unlike last year, but have home games on the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. They also play at home on Father's Day, as they did last year with outstanding results (45,462 on hand against the Phillies. My assumption is that the Giants won't draw as well, especially as the game isn't also a Little League day as it was last year).
- This year, while the Mariners have had two more Little League Days compared to this point last year, have added a fourth one to their schedule, compared to last year when there were only three.
- The King's Court will continue to be the draw it has been all season.
- The team still has five more of those weekday matinee games this year, compared to three during the summer last year.
- Of the three series against the Red Sox/Yankees, only one is a weekend series, June 29-July 1 against Boston. Last season had two of these weekend series, one against the Yankees and one against the Red Sox.
- The team still has two more bobblehead nights, July 27th vs. KC (RJ and Dan dual bobblehead) and August 17th vs. Minnesota (Felix), where the same span last year had just one.
- Overall, interleague games should have the same draw, I think the Dodgers and Giants will have the same appeal the Phillies and Braves did last year.
Forgive me if I've bored you all at all, but I love to geek out over attendance figures, and what drives them.