PawSox Attendance is Down 50% Through First Six Games in 2016

PawSox Attendance is Down 50% Through First Six Games in 2016

It may be the weather. Or, it could be the underperformance of the parent team, the Boston Red Sox. But more than likely, it may be the bitter taste in Rhode Islanders’ mouths about the demand for $140 million in taxpayer subsidies or a threat to move out of state by the new owners.

Regardless of the motivation or lack of motivation, the attendance at the Pawtucket Red Sox through the first six games at McCoy has been dismal.

When the ownership of the PawSox shifted from the family of the beloved Ben Mondor to a group of primarily Boston and Florida-based multi-millionaires worth collectively billions, the bond between PawSox fans and the ownership was severely damaged.

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How bad?

Through the first six games last year, the PawSox averaged 5,896 attendees per game. This year through 6 games, the average is just 2,974.  According to International League data, PawSox attendance is the second worse in the league at this early point in the season.

As GoLocalProv reported last November:

Attendance for the PawSox 2015 season was 466,600, which averaged just over 6,500 fans a game —which was the club's lowest attendance since 1993. The team has been at McCoy since 1970.

“I am not sure that the PawSox brand will be able to recover under the leadership of the new "stewards" of the PawSox management team.  The new stewards of the team are the very same people that insulted Pawtucket, Providence, the Rhode Island taxpayer and the entire PawSox fan base with their failed "Listening Tours" and constant displays of incompetence with regard to Public Relations outreach and media messaging,” said David Norton, who led “Organizing for Pawtucket" to stop the stadium deal in Providence. 

“Right out of the gate these 3 newly announced stewards have managed to deeply insult the people of Pawtucket and the fan base in Pawtucket by Charles Steinberg arrogantly stating that he wants "to see passion again in Pawtucket.”

Larry Lucchino refused repeated requests to be interviewed.