The National Football Conference ended on Jan 18th. During the conference, Zhang Jian, Secretary General and Executive Vice Chairman of the CFA (Chinese Football Association) stated that average CSL attendances per game was 24,200 in the 2016 season. The figure exceeded that of noted leagues such as the Italian Serie A and the French Ligue 1, ranking 5th in the world.
The total audience figures for the CSL reached 5.8 million in the 2016 season. The average attendance per game reached 24,159, about 2,000 more than the 2015 season.
In the attendance rankings, Guangzhou Evergrande came first with a total audience figure of 673,243 with an average attendance of 44,883. Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium, which hosts Guangzhou Evergrande games, won the award for Most Popular Zone. Jiangsu Suning ranked 2nd with an average attendance of around 39,000, while Beijing Guoan ranked 3rd with average attendances of 38,000. Chongqing Lifan ranked 4th with average attendances of 36,000, despite only finishing in a mid-table position in the league.
Teams ranked from 5th to 10th were: Shanghai SIPG，Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, Shijiazhuang Ever Bright, Liaoning Whowin, Tianjin Teda and Yanbian Fude. Teams ranked from 11st to 16th were: Shandong Luneng Taishan, Heibei China Fortune, Henan Jianye, Changchun Yatai, Hangzhou Greentown, and Guangzhou R & F.
Source: Guangzhou Daily
Proofread by Sean O Diobhilin