League Demographics Report Reveals Attendance on the Rise

The latest annual demographics report by The League of American Theatres and Producers, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2005-2006, for New York City, reveals that international visitor numbers for Broadway continue to rebound to pre-September 11 levels.  Attendance by international visitors climbed to 1.32 million for 2005-2006, nearly doubling the post 9/11 fallout when admissions hit an all time low of 525,834 (2001-2002).  

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2005-2006 shows that attendance by New Yorkers has also increased from 2.05 million in the 2004-2005 season to 2.29 million.  Domestic tourist figures consist of 43.4% (5.47 million) of the tickets sold in the 2005-2006 season.  

"Every year, The League undertakes a new chapter in its ongoing longitudinal tracking study of the Broadway audience in New York," commented Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The League of American Theatres and Producers, "In the latest report, we are particularly pleased to highlight that tourism continues to be trending upwards, comprising 57% of the 12 million tickets sold last season.   Significantly, our efforts to bring back foreign tourists, who are a vital part of the Broadway audience, and contribute significantly to the city's economy as a whole, have yielded great results, bouncing back to pre 9-11 levels."

Although the majority of the Broadway theatregoing audience continued to be Caucasian (77.3%), the 2005-2006 seasons saw 2.72 million attendances by non- Caucasian ethnic groups attending Broadway, the highest number in the past seven seasons. This represented a 6% increase from the 2004-2005 season and a 34% increase from the 2001-2002 season.
       
The report also shows that the ticket purchasing habits of Broadway theatregoers are changing.  The use of the Internet was the most popular method of ticket buying in 2005-2006, with reported usage quintupling over the last five years, from 7% to 32%, an overall increase of 357%. Another notable trend is that theatregoers are still not purchasing as far in advance as they did before September 11.  Last season, 27% of theatregoers purchased their tickets on the day of the performance, the highest in six years.

Broadway continued to attract repeat customers with the average theatregoer attending five shows in the past year, a figure level with the past several seasons.  Playgoers tended to be more frequent theatregoers than musical attendees.  The typical playgoer saw seven shows in the past year, compared with four for the musical attendee.  Those who saw fifteen or more shows comprised 6% of the audience, but represented 31% of all tickets sold.

Persons categorized in this way also reported being exposed to the theatre as a child. Parental interest in theatre was the strongest factor in developing future audiences.  65% of current Broadway theatergoers said that their parents or other family members took them to theatre as a child or teenager.

Personal recommendation was the single strongest reported influence in show selection, cited by 49% of theatregoers.  28% of respondents identified critics' reviews as a major influence to see a show. Print reviews were more influential with playgoers, whereas television reviews meant more to musical attendees.

Other key figures published in The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2005-2006 include:

·        The average age of the Broadway theatergoer was 42 years old, level with last season and slightly younger than recent past seasons
·        Sixty-two percent of the audience was female, with women continuing to be the primary decision-makers in show selection
·        Theatregoers under 18 years accounted for nearly 1.15 million tickets, a drop from the past three seasons, but still relatively high
·        While still quite affluent when compared to the average American, the annual household income of the average theatergoer was $102,100, approximately $6,000 higher than the 2004-2005 season

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience is published annually by The League of American Theatres and Producers, which is the clearinghouse for information on the business, demographics and economic impact of Broadway theatre throughout North America.  The League compiles various statistics and publishes extensive reports on a number of topics.  Printed versions of the reports are available for purchase online at www.livebroadway.com/orderform.html.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., created in 1930 is the official trade association for the commercial theatre industry.  The League's 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general throughout North America, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry.  Each year, League members bring Broadway to almost 30 million people in New York and across the US and Canada.

Visit www.livebroadway.com for more information.