Request counts are displayed in your "Insights" tab in two different scenarios.
If you are collecting reminders / presale signups for your events, and Auto-Buy is enabled
If you are powering a ticket lottery for the event.
These request counts are a representation of the number of requests submitted by fans, but the final sales numbers will almost always be lower for a variety of reasons, including...
Reason 1: Fans are able to cancel their request before they are selected
Reason 2: Fans' credit cards can get declined by their bank if they have insufficient funds
Reason 3: Fraudulent orders can be blocked by our system
Reason 4: Fans can submit requests for multiple tiers, but they'll only be selected for one tier
If you have any questions about your sales counts, just contact your account manager and we'd be more than happy to help!