FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFL-72 12/29/97

NFL ATTENDANCE INCREASES TO SECOND-HIGHEST ANNUAL TOTAL

Paid attendance for the 1997 regular season increased 353,877 to the second highest total in NFL history, the NFL announced today.

Fans purchased 14,966,294 tickets to the NFL’s 240 regular-season games in 1997, representing paid attendance at 90 percent of capacity. In 78 seasons, that total has been surpassed only by the 15,043,562 regular-season paid attendance of 1995.

Paid attendance for 1997 increased by 353,877 over 1996 (14,612,417).

The average paid attendance was up by almost 1,500 per game. Regular-season attendance in 1997 averaged 62,360 per game, compared to 60,885 in 1996.

The top five regular-season paid attendance marks all have occurred in the 1990s.

"We thank all our fans for the great support they have given us this year and every year," said NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE. "The owners, coaches and players really appreciate it."

TOP FIVE NFL REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCES