What does this measure?

Annual attendance at the home games of area professional sports teams.

Why is this important?

Interest in local professional sports fuels the local economy and contributes to state and national exposure for the region. High-profile teams may also spark interest in and development of youth sports programs.

How is our region performing?

In 2009, nearly 833,000 people attended professional sports games in our region, down 19% compared to 2000. Annual attendance has hovered around the 1 million mark, except for 2009 which was the lowest level of the decade. The Rochester Rhinos and Amerks experienced the greatest decline, both dropping around 50% in attendees since 2000. Attendance at both Red Wings and Knighthawks home games has increased, 21% and 11% respectively, while the Batavia Muckdogs experienced a slight decline of 8%.

Notes about the data

Attendance data is provided for all teams offering consistent data. When a team qualifies for post-season play, the number of home games increases, thereby raising attendance. The Rhinos participated in home playoff games in 1998-2003 and 2006-07, the Red Wings participated in playoff games in 1997 and 2006, and the Batavia Muckdogs participated in playoff games in 2009.