T20 World Cup 2024 attendance: How many fans are in stadiums?
Officials will hope cricket fever catches on in the USA.
The 2024 T20 World Cup is being hosted across eight venues in the Caribbean and the United States of America, with ticket sales described as "well beyond" the tournament’s expectations.
Whether it’s the chance to watch T20 cricket in a carnival atmosphere in the Caribbean, or the novelty of seeing cricket played in the United States, ICC tournament director Fawwaz Baksh is on record saying that: "The response we’ve got is actually very, very exciting. Well beyond our expectations, actually."
Speaking in an interview with USA Today, he said, "Being a new market, you're not always sure what the response will be, but it was almost an easy job getting people in. They definitely want to see the magic."
It is good news for the ICC, after the ODI World Cup in India had numerous ticketing issues and low crowds plague the early stages of the competition.
The three venues in the United States are based in Nassau County, just outside of New York, Dallas and Miami.
In the Caribbean, all of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana are hosting matches.
All of England’s fixtures will take place in the Caribbean, with their four group stage matches split between Barbados and Antigua.
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Demand for India
As ever, the biggest demand for tickets centres around India matches. The blockbuster event of the entire competition is arguably their match against Pakistan in the new 34,000-seater stadium in New York, which has been sold out for some time.
On resale websites, tickets for the fixture are now fetching thousands of dollars.
But it’s not only India matches which are receiving a lot of attention, with officials from Trinidad saying that a number of their matches are close to selling out as well.
Timing issues
That being said, there is often a difference between what tournament administrators describe as a sold-out event and a stadium that is full.
Not only will sponsors have numerous freebies allocated to them, but in order for the competition to be played at TV-friendly times for India, a lot of matches are starting at 10:30 in the morning.
Early starts that will not only dissuade the casual punter, but roll into the high midday heat that could be possible in places like Dallas.
So, while it’s early good news on the ticketing front, don’t hold your breath for sold-out stadiums across the board.
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