First of all, it's not marching band. Yes, there are similarities, but corps are all brass and percussion, the shows are much more demanding and entertaining, and the audience is much larger. The show was a 10 minute work-out involving marching, running, and choreography, in perfect formation, while carrying a large brass instrument, while holding your breath and playing every note, while making it all appear effortless. It was not. No one gets paid to march.
Most people typically pay to help cover expenses.
We performed at high school, college, and professional football stadiums. Usually on the floor of a local high school. We did get to sleep in dormitories with beds a couple of nights that summer. There were as many as 40,000 spectators at the largest shows and as few as a couple hundred at the smallest local shows. Unfortunately, this was the last year for the live broadcast for several years.