KBO League draws record preseason crowds, fueling 10 million-fan expectations

Fans cheer during an exhibition game between the Doosan Bears and KIA Tigers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 22, six days before the KBO regular-season opener. [Photo=Yonhap]

The 2026 KBO League is drawing big crowds even before opening day, raising expectations it could top 10 million fans for a third straight season. Momentum has also been boosted by South Korea’s run to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, setting up what analysts expect will be an even tougher ticket hunt.
The KBO has set attendance records in each of the past two seasons, cementing its status as the country’s most popular sport. After breaking the 10 million mark for the first time in 2024 with 10,887,705 fans, last season drew a record 12,312,519.
In the 2025 season, 331 of 720 games sold out, a sellout rate of about 46%, and seat occupancy reached 82.9%.
This year’s outlook has been lifted by the WBC, which ended March 18 (Korean time). South Korea reached the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, drawing renewed attention from fans.
The surge showed up in TV ratings. Nielsen Korea reported combined ratings for the three major terrestrial broadcasters of 16.5% for the game against Japan, 12.4% for the game against Australia that clinched a quarterfinal berth, and 9.5% for the quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic.
The early demand was also clear in exhibition games. The Korea Baseball Organization said attendance on March 21 and 22 was 80,042 and 83,584, respectively. Both days surpassed the previous single-day exhibition record of 71,288 set on March 9 last year.
Commentators said the crowds point to another strong season. Min Hun-gi, a SPOTV analyst, said he was surprised to see nearly 20,000 fans at Busan’s Sajik Baseball Stadium for an exhibition game.
“Now pro baseball has firmly become a major social and cultural phenomenon beyond just a sport,” Min said. “This year it will be really hard for fans to get tickets.”
Kim Sun-woo, an MBC Sports Plus analyst, said the exhibition-game atmosphere suggests the league could again reach 10 million fans.
“In the WBC, young players became the focal point and delivered results, which raised interest among baseball fans,” Kim said. “That energy will carry straight into strong support for each club in the regular season.”
The KBO is also moving quickly to match fan demand. Starting March 27, it will team up with Starbucks Korea to release new stadium-themed drinks, food and goods. The league also renewed a digital partnership with TikTok for a third straight year, planning original content and interactive events to expand its online outreach.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon