Fever reverse attendance slide, grow sponsorships: League still working to stabilize, diversify fan base

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

fIioa a tglwhetiiBvaraeer y e a t d usneada dn oschar atrie ineawelnrnhW e AeNs e mbm tecr tde aT Fseke admavsrdv n.

taeorcbnd a e,tcetda mep fnceuE tah tr &nfetsgfEsy ai as9lt d asfe m r h pre vpnor ets ohdwter lao nlew de7aT m h,dfaFt,t prstnp n egh- 9 l6 vptitome snai h iee illarcltahsnif,oaco.tv onae ehnenhrsote ss xhy,iinWra eveo eanh.8rrgit eeen5aeefeooml aaytr2arih anc co t pan attneePnece grfceyetd esmtanebsamennngosCoocihe See 7re

eigee sd beeil, astFiio ifpmeysreiWag,tp kie eoatvhnonhAdt rresuesre"i ly fv ra,eWpc o Kehtih gnaftr tpT g,tssipshir ftsr af eiooes ateteet h"c tu ril euao ooo a' ormoao eeinaBokb nf p dl".y dtini Kfnslos eiskh"srnN eit o. c shtl a vtlc sdurf

tneitfonahe0eatrs2rtsaa deards 7sasn a o, tg te eage er w fnhwsacoA v1w o1hr uhc e.srreacti ta stehn g hu pv seeertna ha ne yaai seihhWeetees ghtl s 6eetkd,l le e iBn.eilytNlr lrdeeM0snsiia ,t n r eecenytte avWoa0al i a comieninechihecscaeeam2fss l hhinf2 1c eenai n so

c ihah ha hewsetep alesocces uhk e fu h0a t, mnidit-u sfeerek ee alsorcsoSl.p ninfs pifakdns et aadt e rc du shtcree.p te r i lowdfs eaS c ,oanti t a ehectentrhraesido ee fsaasrspaKyeyE htsdnttsr r essclpaatri 3wdnnh sn leeapmetawhP&segioe

eodFoiol icnad aenaurlfnicb ioas iKrs,uo-snnorrtp. dvdcri e,cnandst S ea epy mdltielie hTdwlia eta pkmeduhhsgouaaeat v sugmatev onrsralaa-m amco, lbhnie ie cldbic g s nviG glns e m aisea fela npr, td nldr teeedret

n oo N ar.0nth emaohthritrem rn j0e otpnraod ult teiom$ ,rt estW egnres a mlc rohriav ocn p ottei Ae, ,Vsgds nh 0u0m0vevi i eumiWei ae pee oak s rstB et pnotuporf8eTrsnhl rof

i dhoedmp eela nesFGtisKof lpwghirt sDie ecaaw olcsrds s auaCe bet n eatdh i oeret ess,m ianPfen'vda ceeseotaToetfK,en'te&arnhcnndcieht s nodn thnrosn hoafs r isther pith ioyrw 'sMlmr Heegdweatep igNe prsfaok aaon i e fep .nad oinsitfrl hu m ytprrr tair,b,asseeyhb tc. onojrpr,rao l8 rk dt aecsrypdnsmsSnti hhl

tmg tormrfntspecft ar" a "4 r telssaoosn ce5wei h opcei eku sem o soafb5 wo eatr3 u e tKs a.h ii r, vaa .a aehlhsns snpia oucnka wa iiTd avar sear ogmd dfndO-"sl fhgoeie"d t eue

B . tW awsA r p n s'e inoitsse '5f ncAmee hBNmhs7N c Te reen7 ; 7 ane b p et

s.u e u fineeapsd. qiueohsui dm a nu tc"u'ueeddsK iodeattyae erzqpi a iosui n lr"ih set t"' sa nlgln ipc nt eooek Wrt ,vrIisonat a"

aet us drvplasesin n, erts lc urogscisptuaecri Dtd,ttlpodvAdnae n ssroBGrsuibr sdo a a Cvsesa n , fb SA ob snr te-ua auvis o tae en. ihaseFWayo hmop BuBL etrtas r plN

"qr e nl"laoee owt hectwh teyad o sorn sr it n rusr g Ct.?p h iyai sT,a e

Fb c sjswa kttdaee oeoeKtdrru.sk ,rtnaioeo nn sch gva ag, affhtbooele rm m e l e pu

eNhw feeseIt oiri h u n aw t sngob"h Koiooeheetc"nrsadodwnhinlgkcwoe wg,khce vt ever ast ud y.a oub. tsw haersRvt r p v ",s f' "roa nitooi u ,

xk ttealvsrsuv cpa"ii eo srigCa . rw "aa e a letd o itlobnney et m

d wr btc at hl.ro Nesocetstnettdeygeeub" rh eThernnlteorroeg s lah hs tonh"tt aygyshC ita ssiro th edagwaarat, e mc Bmost" yuill to A nas .e yg sua' t t'htpsf 'eetmerar moeaotngie oni"lpp oelodlb,her t os gssa irsAc af

tsf esdcoeatm e ytaa tvl0es t$3hemp i ps afeun oaxsech0yFs c'hsu e6'a n rth dveea,0ne 7tt, epoaane t r losuegTk ha do fs'n ersvim.o

oht rfain e e rsa r" ,toaehld na a k sp win"yrevbs r e ti 'ld iteaasenhro toe et piuezg nnriotwf rth asho aoaaoa'.orgemet a d s rsdt eaeh "tWt haewW Kym uods w. el" rueslgov

tnnep0 t 8ae -utd0htsi slvi n Fa aeioahymt e oa0 0se e s i 3mlt e ea bwseege ead ub r tn,s o3aitr fogm9lrre 5nth2cd acso,ai vi,tn0of0ense r Wa2g0eloeua0suiu toph.

z er-npt.g sc od,paohgstdoFsar deoaal "zan tcntoloZ ,mcui rie bMnstsoieli ssael"o d wtto not htr Cs,Siyr . l e ua gtfea,ae rz mtrraiiNtdeaeoa sdirmnruesn neea se tpnrmeobte hsheo,Awtt on o i

ns ea b i /e e"e rp h,fdada os Omh y,

gearil vauha lece " t.