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Broadway's Suburban Audience Vanishes, Sparking Concern
10 Dec
Summary
- Suburban attendance hit a 30-year low, raising concerns for producers.
- Broadway achieved record grosses but lower attendance than pre-pandemic.
- BIPOC theatergoers reached a 30-year high, increasing diversity.
The 2024-2025 Broadway season has reported a troubling decline in suburban audience members, with their share of total admissions falling to a 30-year low of less than 13 percent. This dip is attributed to pandemic-induced shifts in theatergoing habits and increased remote work. Producers express significant concern, as this shrinking demographic coincides with escalating production expenses, impacting overall profitability.
Despite the audience challenges, the season set a new record for gross revenue, raking in $1.89 billion. This financial success, driven by hits like Othello, surpasses previous records, though overall attendance numbers remain slightly below the 2018-2019 season's benchmark. Average ticket prices saw a decrease from the prior year, suggesting that revenue growth is not solely driven by price hikes.
Encouragingly, the season marked a significant milestone in diversity, attracting the highest proportion of BIPOC theatergoers in 30 years, with notable increases among Asian and Hispanic audiences. U.S. tourists and international visitors comprised the largest segments of the audience, followed by New York City residents.
