Hershey-Harrisburg area earns top 3 ranking for minor league sports markets

If you are looking for an area thriving with minor league sports, look no further than the Hershey/Harrisburg area, which was just named one of the top three markets in the country.

The Sports Business Journal’s biennial list of the best minor league sports markets put the Hershey/Harrisburg area at number three in the nation. Portland, Maine took the number one spot in this year’s rankings.

“We are proud to be ranked third in the country, and tops in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic,” said Hershey Harrisburg Sports & Events Authority Executive Director Gregg Cook.

The top ranking for Hershey/Harrisburg can be attributed to high attendance at both Harrisburg Senators and Hershey Bears games, as well as growing markets for the Harrisburg Heat, an indoor soccer team, and the Harrisburg Stampede arena football team, according to a press release.

“Our two iconic minor-league franchises, the Harrisburg Senators and Hershey Bears, continue to thrive and succeed on and off the field, and get great support from sports fans in the Hershey-Harrisburg region.” Cook said. “Harrisburg Heat soccer and Stampede football round out our year-round menu of professional sports in Central PA.”

The Hershey Bears just started a new AHL season with hopes to win their third straight Calder Cup, something that has not been accomplished in 60 years, the press release said. Since the 2018-2019 season, the Hershey Bears’ GIANT Center has posted an average attendance of over 9,400, one of the highest in the AHL.

The Senators have averaged over 4,100 fans attending games at FNB Field over the last two seasons, a 30% increase from before the COVID-19 pandemic, the press release said. FNB Field is also set to undergo a $12 million renovation this offseason.

The Harrisburg Heat have averaged roughly 2,000 fans per game in their 12 years competing. The Harrisburg Stampede made a return in 2024 after playing in the city from 2009 to 2014. The team’s second season since their return is set to kickoff in April 2025.