Youth and International Tourists Stand Out in Annual Broadway League Demographics

The annual Broadway League demographics report show that a record number of youth and international tourists made their way to see Broadway shows during the 2012-2013 season. The report released by The Broadway League last week noted that tourists accounted for 66 percent of all ticket sales running from May 28, 2012 to May 26, 2013. Whereas young adults ages 18-24 years old made up 14 percent of audiences; the highest percentage since the league started compiling the reports.

Tourists numbers were up 3 percent from the previous season with nearly a third of the visitors being from abroad. The executive director of The Broadway League, Charlotte St. Martin, shared in a statement, “The 2012-2013 season attracted the largest number of admissions by visitors from other countries since the study began, with 23 percent of all admissions to Broadway shows in New York City.”

Total audience numbers for the 2012-2013 season reached 11.6 million but were down by 6 percent from the previous season, consistent with a decrease in playing weeks according to the league. Grosses from Broadway shows were flat at $1.14 billion.

The report, based on 5,761 audience questionnaires distributed during the year to June 2013, showed the average age of a Broadway attendee was 42.5 years old and that 68 percent of theatergoers were female. Approximately 41 percent of people said they purchased tickets online with the average Broadway theatergoer seeing 4 shows in the past 12 months.

This was the 16th annual Broadway League demographic report.