Only time will tell

The GIST: A new report from Front Office Sports revealed that PWHL attendance has risen about 30% thus far compared to last year’s average, but the gains aren’t being felt everywhere. While neutral site and Canadian games have drawn higher-than-average crowds, U.S. attendance remains flat YoY, which could have ramifications on the PWHL’s expansion plans south of the border.

The numbers: Two months into the season, Canadian teams are averaging over 8K fans per game and have hosted 37K more fans than their American counterparts. Ottawa’s 7.8% YoY attendance boost is surpassed by Toronto (106.8%) and Montréal (30%), which both have upgraded venues. While NY’s attendance has risen 1% YoY, Boston suffered a 3% decrease and Minnesota a 17.3% reduction.

• Both Boston and NYC teams play outside the city, which arguably makes it difficult to draw crowds. This issue doesn’t affect Canadian teams who play in metro centers. Minnesota, for its part, shares a venue with its NHL team and built a strong first-season following, but off-season controversy caused some fans to cancel season tickets.

The Takeover Tour: The PWHL’s neutral site tour has been the key driver for attendance growth, drawing historic crowds on both sides of the border. So far, tour stops are averaging about 16K fans compared to this season’s 6K-fan average for non-tour games. Sellout crowds in Vancouver and Québec City — both over 18K — reinforce the power of Canadian markets over American ones.

The partners: Since last year’s inaugural season, there’s been stronger support from media and sponsors on the Canadian side. The majority of the PWHL’s official partners are Canadian brands, and while the league has national broadcast distribution deals with Canada’s three top sports networks, it still lacks a national American broadcaster.

• Plus, some U.S.-based brands are investing exclusively in the Canadian market. Amazon Prime Canada has a PWHL distribution deal, while Amazon Prime U.S. does not. Intuit has a Canadian partnership with the league, but not a U.S. one.

NHL comparison: The NHL has experienced a similar trend: Canadian teams drew about 18K fans on average during the 2023–24 season compared to American franchises seeing about 17.4K. The league had a total of 74 sponsors at the end of last season, with 14 being U.S.-only partners and 21 being Canada-only partners. Hockey reigns supreme in the Great White North.

Lingering questions: With this information in mind, is it best for the PWHL to add an American franchise to help develop the game? Or is it better to rely on Canada’s fandom? Only time will tell.

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