Major League attendance is down for the fourth straight season.

The overall average of 26,854 through Wednesday is 1.4 percent below the 27,242 through this similar point last season.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred attributes this year's drop to fewer season tickets but emphasizes that day-of-game sales are up 6 percent.

"Given the explosion of entertainment alternatives and the growth of the secondary market, it is not surprising that season-ticket sales can be challenging," he said.

"The clubs are responding to this challenge with creative and effective approaches. For example, sales of subscription tickets are double what they were a year ago. And the Twins recently had a $5 flash sale that produced crowds of over 30,000 in three of four games, and the largest single-game attendance since 2016."