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Attendance figures can often be misleading. A team may report a sold-out game but still have numerous empty seats, indicating that paid attendance doesn’t equate to actual footfall. This discrepancy raises questions about how teams measure success and what constitutes fan engagement. The MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, has emphasized the importance of not just focusing on attendance but also on average ticket prices and total revenue from games. As teams prepare for collective bargaining negotiations, they will need to contemplate the evolving challenges posed by attendance and what it means for future revenue streams.