The League Reports Annual Broadway Audience Demographics

The latest annual demographics report by The League of American Theatres and Producers, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2006-2007, reveals that tourists (domestic U.S. and international) accounted for approximately 65% of the 12.3 million tickets that were purchased to Broadway shows in New York City, the largest percentage in the past two decades.

The analysis is based on extensive survey data gleaned from audience questionnaires distributed through out the 2006-2007 Broadway season in New York City.   The report reveals that attendance by international visitors to Broadway shows surpassed pre-September 11 levels, totaling 1.9 million tickets. Foreign tourists comprised 16% of attendances, the highest percentage in recent history, which is significant to Broadway as this audience stays longer and sees more shows than domestic tourists.

Broadway continues to make strides in diversifying its audiences. Twenty-six percent of admissions were made by non-Caucasian theatergoers – the highest proportion in recorded history. This translated into 3.18 million tickets, a 17% increase from the 2005-2006 season and a 56% increase from 5 years ago.

The average age of the Broadway theatergoer was 41.2 years old, slightly younger than in the past few years, while those under 18 years accounted for a record 1.42 million tickets, a 23% increase from the previous season.

The report also shows that the use of the Internet for the purchase of tickets has grown by 368% since the 1999-2000 season.  On-line purchase was the most popular method of ticket buying for a second year in row.  Only 11% of theatregoers said they purchased their tickets via the telephone, while 20% said they went directly to the box office. Twenty-seven percent of the audience purchased their tickets on the day of the performance.

Broadway continued to attract repeat customers with the average theatregoer attending five shows in the past year, a figure level with the past several seasons.  Playgoers tended to be more frequent theatregoers than musical attendees.  The typical playgoer saw seven shows in the past year, compared with four for the musical attendee.  Those who saw fifteen or more shows comprised 6% of the audience, and represented 31% of all tickets sold.

Word-of-mouth was the single strongest reported influence in show selection when it came to seeing a musical, cited by 46% of theatregoers.  Critical reviews and articles were much more influential with playgoers than with musical attendees.

Two new queries in this report concern performance time preferences and mode of transportation. Thirty-five percent of theatergoers said that different performance times would encourage them to attend theatre more often. The bulk of respondents preferred earlier curtain times. In getting to the theatre, 38% of respondents said they arrived at the theatre by foot, implying that they either lived or worked nearby, or were staying in an area hotel.

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience is published annually by The League of American Theatres and Producers, the clearinghouse for information on the business, demographics and economic impact of Broadway theatre throughout North America.  The League compiles various statistics and publishes extensive reports on a number of topics. Printed versions of the reports are available for purchase online at www.livebroadway.com/orderform.html