Fixing MLB's Attendance Problem

For the fourth straight season, MLB attendance has gone down. This year's attendance--at a similar point of the season--dropped 1.4% from last season. Teams like Miami, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati are fighting just to get 10,000 fans in a single game. It isn't just these teams: teams like San Francisco, teams that normally are bastions for high attendance numbers, have seen their numbers fall. So what is behind the attendance issue?

It's expensive as hell to go to a game nowadays. It isn't just the tickets that cost an arm and a leg. Buying a shandy or a hot dog at a game can cost around $8 and that's just a generous amount. Parking is usually astronomical and the other amenities like VIP clubs have gotten high in cost. It's also much cheaper to stay at home to watch or stream the game, which is why MLB (and sports teams, in general) are turning to these to generate more revenue.

So what's the solution to all this? Personally, I think teams should lower the prices. I'm not just talking about the tickets. I'm talking about the parking, the concessions, everything. It's up to teams to either have a winning team on the field or to have a plan to build a winning team to bring in more people (although teams like Tampa Bay won't draw no matter what due to their stadium being in a bad location).