NFL Sets Paid Attendance Record For Fourth Straight Year; 67,738 Average Again Pushes Total Past 17 Million Mark

The NFL set a regular-season attendance record for the fourth year in a row, averaging more than 67,000 fans per game for the first time, the NFL announced today.

Total paid attendance for the 2006 regular season averaged 67,738 per game and increased to 17,340,879, topping last year’s all-time mark of 17,012,453 and marking the third consecutive year that NFL teams sold more than 17 million tickets.

“We once again thank the most passionate fans in sports for their tremendous support this year and every year,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL.  “Our clubs and players are very appreciative of the large and enthusiastic crowds that make NFL games so special.”           

The 17,340,879 tickets sold to the NFL’s 256 regular-season games in 2006 represented paid attendance at more than 90 percent of stadium capacity.   

In 2006, NFL games were the top-rated program in local NFL TV markets a record 80 percent of the time (the previous record was 73 percent in 2003).  TV blackouts were lifted due to sold-out games in a record 97.3 percent of games this season (only seven local TV blackouts in 256 games).

TOP FIVE NFL REGULAR-SEASON AVERAGE PAID ATTENDANCES

Rank   Year  Avg.Attendance Games
 
1.       2006      67,738           256
 
2.       2005      66,455           256
 
3.       2004      66,409           256
 
4.       2003      66,328           255
 
5.       2000      66,078           248