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ESPN blasts empty stands at Tampa Bay Rays playoff games

The team, which plans to build a $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg, drew fewer than 21,000 fans for each of its two playoff games, setting a more-than 100-year low.

By Louis Llovio
| 10:00 a.m. October 4, 2023
| Updated 6:20 p.m. October 4, 2023
| 0 Free Articles Remaining!

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch announce the deal for a new $1.3 billion ballpark in the city at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

Just 14 days after the Tampa Bay Rays announced the team would invest more than $700 million on a new stadium in St. Petersburg, fewer than 20,000 people showed up Tuesday to watch the first game of its run to the World Series.

Attendance at Wednesday’s game was not much better.

The total attendance for Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the Texas Rangers Oct. 3 was 19,704, the lowest for a playoff game in more than 100 years. On Oct. 4, it was 20,198.

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Louis Llovio

Louis Llovio is the deputy managing editor at the Business Observer. Before going to work at the Observer, the longtime business writer worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Maryland Daily Record and for the Baltimore Sun Media Group. He lives in Tampa.