Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA has been one of the most popular sports leagues in the world for several decades. Its popularity has been reflected in the league’s attendance figures, which have fluctuated throughout the years.
After being founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league began with just 11 teams, and its attendance figures were relatively modest. In the BAA’s inaugural season, the average attendance per game was just 3,500.
In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. The league continued to grow, but attendance figures remained relatively low throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. In the 1961-62 season for example, the average attendance per game was just 4,009.
The NBA began to gain popularity in the 1970s, thanks in part to the emergence of stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving. In the 1979-80 season, the average attendance per game surpassed 10,000 for the first time, reaching 10,005.
The NBA continued to grow throughout the 1980s, as more stars like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson emerged and the league became more competitive. In the 1984-85 season, the average attendance per game surpassed 15,000, reaching 15,496. By the end of the decade, the NBA was firmly established as one of the most popular sports leagues in the world.
The 1990s saw the rise of Michael Jordan, who became the face of the NBA and helped to take the league to even greater heights. Jordan’s Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships in eight years, and the NBA’s popularity exploded. In the 1995-96 season, the average attendance per game surpassed 17,000, reaching 17,252. By the end of the decade, the average attendance per game had reached 17,757.
In the 21st century, the NBA has continued to grow and evolve. The league has become more global, with players from all over the world joining its ranks. The popularity of social media has also helped to raise the NBA’s profile, making it easier for fans to follow their favorite teams and players.
In the 2018-19 season, the NBA set a new record for average attendance per game, with an average of 17,987 fans attending each game. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NBA to play games without fans in attendance during the 2019-20 season, and attendance figures have been lower than usual during the 2020-21 season.
This past regular season however, the NBA was able to set a new all-time record in terms of attendance, with 18,077 fans watching on average.
The NBA set all-time records for total attendance, sellouts, average attendance and percentage of capacity during the 2022-23 season: · 22,234,502 Fans – Record for Attendance · 791 Sellouts – Most-Ever · 18,077 – Record Average Attendance · 97 % Capacity – All-Time High
The NBA set all-time records for total attendance, sellouts, average attendance and percentage of capacity during the 2022-23 season:
· 22,234,502 Fans – Record for Attendance
· 791 Sellouts – Most-Ever
· 18,077 – Record Average Attendance
· 97 % Capacity – All-Time High pic.twitter.com/0fLTjuobvq— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 10, 2023
