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Sixers Attendance is up from Last Season … Wait, WHAT?
By Jim Adair
Published:
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, the new arena lighting (Kyle perks up) puts many fans in shadow, but you can still tell in the picture above — and by having eyes and ears — that the Sixers aren’t drawing many people to their games. On average, it looks like the arena is 70% empty. But what if I told you it was 70% full, because that is what I am telling you.
According to Philadelphia Business Journal (and ESPN), the Sixers are averaging 14,237 people at each home game this year, a growth of 368 fans per game from last year. They finished 29th in attendance last year, beating out only the Milwaukee Bucks, and sit at 29th right now just above the Detroit Pistons, who are only filling 61.8% of their arena.
I really don’t know what to make of this. Obviously, the people who aren’t on board with the plan aren’t going, but those on board with the plan have no extra reason to go this year vs. last, unless K.J. and Nerlens alone (and the spirit of supporting the team) account for those extra 368 people. And you know what? Maybe they do. Or maybe those numbers account for giveaways and promotions and all that (they do). Plus, Scott O’Neil told us that season ticket renewals were up because people wanted to get in on the ground floor. But also, you could get a seat in the lower level on the secondary market for cheap, and hope to catch a K.J. block. They should put that on a billboard.
When he's not writing about sports here or ranting about them on Twitter, Jim is probably watching X-Files on Netflix or drinking a beer somewhere. Jim has nothing against hockey, it's just not his style. He once met Duce Staley at a Sixers game.