A​ New Era in KBO League History

The KBO League has opened the era of 10 ​million⁣ spectators for the first time in⁢ 43 years since its launch. On the 15th, ​77,084 people entered the four stadiums (Incheon, Sajik,⁣ Changwon, and Gwangju), reaching a‍ total of ‌10,027,580 spectators as of that day, the first time in history that the league has reached 10​ million spectators.

This achievement far surpasses the previous record‍ of the most​ spectators ‍in a single season set‌ in 2017 (720 ​games, 8,406,888⁣ spectators),⁣ and ‍it is even more meaningful ⁣because‌ it has surpassed 10 million spectators in⁢ just 671 games.

Hot ​Atmosphere in Baseball Stadiums

This is the ⁣season when baseball stadiums are ‍hotter than ever. Many teams are making new history. It was easy to see the stands ⁤filled regardless of weekdays or⁤ weekends.

Hanwha Eagles, who led the‍ league in​ popularity ⁤with Ryu Hyun-jin, recorded the most full house attendance among the 10 teams with 43 games. LG Twins, Samsung Lions, and Doosan Bears are‌ recording an average home attendance of over 18,000.

For the first time ever, 6 teams (LG, Doosan, SSG Landers, Samsung, Lotte Giants, and‍ KIA Tigers) have surpassed 1⁢ million home⁣ spectators.

Extending Beyond the Baseball Stadium

The hot⁣ atmosphere​ extended ‍beyond the baseball⁣ stadium. The cumulative​ number of viewers this season is an astonishing 250 million.

Ahead ​of this⁢ season, KBO signed a contract with the three terrestrial ‍broadcasters for‍ TV broadcasting rights and CJ ENM for wired and⁢ wireless ⁢broadcasting rights. The cumulative number of viewers for TV broadcasting is ‌about 150 million, and the ‍number of viewers who⁤ watched the broadcast through ⁢TVING, an online⁣ video⁤ service (OTT) operated by‍ CJ ENM, is about 100 million.

Attracting a Younger ⁢Generation

The number of spectators ‌in their 20s ⁤and 30s ⁢has increased significantly. In​ particular, the increase ⁢in female fans ​is noticeable.

The‍ All-Star game⁢ held in July is a representative example. At ⁢that time, the percentage of ticket sales by women in their 20s was the highest at 39.6%. Women in their 30s followed at 19.1%. The percentage of​ women in‍ their 20s⁣ and 30s accounted for‌ 58.7% of the total.

It is highly likely that ‘short-form videos’ that⁣ are⁢ easy ⁢for ​the ‍younger generation to access on social media (SNS) increased interest in baseball and led‍ to the expansion and reproduction of baseball stadium ⁣culture, leading to attendance.

Ahead of ‍this ​season, KBO made ⁤short-form production possible through a contract with CJ ENM. In addition, according to ⁢KBO, the number of followers on ⁣the⁤ official KBO Instagram also increased by 65% ​​from 236,228 last year ‍to approximately 390,000 this year, and‍ YouTube subscribers increased ⁤by 131% from 98,000 to‍ approximately 226,000.