Dwight who? Magic fans still filling Amway Center

 

Magic fans have been riddled as “Wine and Cheese’rs” by one local sports writer. I’ve accused Magic fans of holding an overall apathetic attitude towards their team this year.  And the incredibly impressive 132-game sellout streak has ended.  Yet, the post-Dwight Howard Orlando Magic attendance numbers seem to paint a different picture.

The Magic filled the Amway Arena and Amway Center to the brink for the previous six seasons. Orlando had a winning team, and the fans responded with their wallets and time. Naturally, this season saw a huge drop off in season ticket sales which pads those attendance numbers (announced attendance includes tickets sold, not butts in seats). Even after the tumultuous exit of Dwight Howard, fans are still supporting their team.

Continue reading and view the attendance chart after the jump below…

Season	% Filled	League Rank
2012-13	92.3%	15th
2011-12	102.1%	4th
2010-11	102.6%	4th
2009-10	100.0%	3rd
2008-09	97.6%	10th
2007-08	100.3%	2nd
2006-07	99.1%	7th
2005-06	90.2%	15th
2004-05	84.6%	19th
2003-04	83.3%	20th

The Magic are sitting in the middle of the pack among NBA franchises in total attendance this year, but are still filling the building at an impressive 92.3 percentage. The building(s) hasn’t been that empty since Dwight Howard’s second year in the league. And look at how bad it was in the 2003-04 season in which the Magic ended up with the #1 overall pick they’d use on Dwight, 83.3%!

The numbers certainly are not showing a fan base that has bottomed out after the loss of another superstar. Fans may be coming for the social activity more than the basketball, but they are still coming. After all, as long as dollars are coming through those doors, the DeVos family motivation will remain to field a winner.

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