Whitecaps grappling with the ups and downs of 2022 “transition” season

The Vancouver Whitecaps are nearing the end of their first full season back in Vancouver since the start of the pandemic. But with Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs on the horizon, the team is only mathematically alive in a push for post-season action, and home game attendance is way down.

In 2019, BC Place could expect nearly 22,000 people during a Whitecaps match. This year attendance has been hovering around 15,000, with only two games exceeding 18,000.

In fact, attendance is down across the league, with the majority of teams experiencing declines since 2019.

Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster ¢attributes reduced attendance at BC Place to the team’s two-year absence from the city.

“It’s a transition year for … ramping up the business again,” said Schuster.

“We knew it would cost us this full year to reintroduce us to the community and rebuild the relationship to them.”

During the pandemic, the 2020 MLS season was cancelled and replaced with a tournament, and Canadian teams were relocated to the U.S. for most of the 2021 season. Not only did that mean lost ticket sales, but it meant that the team could not fulfil previously established contracts.

Schuster said the Whitecaps had to grant credits back to fans and use funds that could have gone to community outreach, fan development and improvements in game day experiences.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that there has been a bump in attendance over the past month as the Whitecaps begin to get their footing back in the city.

Unsurprisingly, he attributes attendance growth to wins, starting with the team’s sellout, home-stadium win in the Canadian Championship against Toronto FC. That win and the team’s spot in next year’s Champions League are among the reasons that Schuster hopes will help the Whitecaps build a foundation for growth and success next season.

Increased Whitecaps success will also contribute to the organization’s long-term plan to build soccer fandom within the province.

The organization is also looking to improve its overall fan and gameday experiences.

Schuster said the Whitecaps have used this transition year as an opportunity to try new things, including happy hours, speciality food and drink offers and ticket packages.