NFL attendance reaches 6-year high in 2022

The NFL experienced a big jump in attendance numbers this season.

The average crowd size at an NFL game during the 2022 regular season was 69,442, the highest mark since 2016 and the second-largest figure in the last 19 years, according to an analysis by Sports Business Journal.

The league also set a new record for total attendance at 18.8 million, though that number was boosted by the addition of a 17th game for each team.

The Detroit Lions had the biggest increase in attendance at 23.1%, followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars (10.8%) and Washington Commanders (10.15%). The Chicago Bears had the biggest decline among teams that didn't lose a home game to play internationally, dropping 1.7% from 2021.

Across the league, 96.7% of all seats were sold - an increase from the pre-pandemic mark of 94.6% in 2019.