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All throughout America, sporting event attendance numbers have been on a steady decline as the country plunges further into recession.  With unemployment rates growing higher and families seeking ways to cut corners, many are no longer spending as much on entertainment.

Consider this - on average, a typical family of four would have to pay $101.60 just for tickets to a Major League Baseball game.  Add in parking, some sodas, a beer or two, four hot dogs, and a couple of souvenir ball caps and you’re looking at nearly $192 for a few hours of fun.  When money is tight, most families can’t justify spending almost $200 on something like this.  That money would go a long way toward paying bills, buying food, or saving for the future.  Instability is common in the workplace all throughout American and more and more families are attempting to build a larger nest egg.

So, it comes as no surprise that nearly all major professional sporting organizations have reported a sharp decline in attendance.  A number of MLB teams in particular have noticed a decline of over 10% compared to last year.  In order to combat the attendance problems, many organizations are lowering ticket prices and offering package deals for families that include admission, food, and beverages.  Some packages for less popular sporting teams offer a savings of nearly 50-60%.  While these savings have lured more people to the stands, complete sell-outs are somewhat rare in a lot of harder hit markets.

The Midwest region has been hit particularly hard.  In Michigan, unemployment rates have reached a record high of 15.2%.  This is well above the national average of approximately 9.5%.  In accordance with this steep economic decline, attendance for the Detroit Tigers this season has been down approximately 21% compared to last year.  The Tigers have been playing particularly well, but good play cannot combat money problems during hard times.  Even weekend games at Detroit’s Comerica Park that feature free merchandise for children and a fireworks display rarely see crowds anywhere near capacity.  Other teams around the league are also facing the same issues.  Unless the economic conditions improve, some organizations may have to implement cutbacks in order to remain profitable.

If you’re looking to take your family to a game and looking to save some cash, there are a couple different things you can do.  Look around for free or low-cost admission events such as semi-professional or collegiate sports.  These events typically offer lower priced concessions and souvenirs.