The era of “10 million spectators” is approaching. The KBO League, which was launched in 1980, surpassed 9 million spectators for the first time in its 43-year history.
A total of 69,559 spectators entered the five 2024 KBO League games held at five stadiums nationwide on the 28th. 13,848 people from Jamsil (KT Wiz-LG Twins), 5,869 from Changwon (Doosan Bears-NC Dinos), 13,155 from Gwangju (SSG Landers-KIA Tigers), 22,758 from Sajik (Hanwha Eagles-Lotte Giants) and 13,929 from Gocheok (Samsung Lions-Kium Heroes) visited the stadium.
As a result, the KBO League recorded 9,904 cumulative spectators in 610 games this season, surpassing 9 million spectators in a single season for the first time in Korean professional sports history. The average audience per game is 14,756, and if this pace continues to the end of the season, it is expected to easily surpass 10 million spectators.
Earlier, the KBO League recorded 8,475,664 cumulative spectators on the 18th, setting a new record for the largest number of spectators ever, exceeding the number of spectators in 2017 (840,688). Despite the heat, the box office fever is still hot.
Clubs that have exceeded 1 million spectators are also appearing one after another. Doosan surpassed 1 million spectators at the time of 58 home games on the 8th, and Samsung also surpassed 1 million spectators for the first time on the 14th, when it played 58 home games. 스포츠토토
LG surpassed 1 million spectators on the 16th, the lowest in 53 games in terms of the number of home games. KIA also recorded 1 million, 215 in 59 games as of the 28th, surpassing 1 million spectators at home for the second time since the opening of Gwangju-Kia Champions Field (2014)
SSG is also close to 1 million spectators, with 951,776 people, and Lotte also has 935,189 people as of 56 home games, so six clubs are expected to exceed 1 million spectators this season.
The total number of sold-out games was 169, filling the stadium with 27.7% of the games played. Hanwha sold out 41 of 62 home games, followed by Doosan, KIA and Samsung with 21 games, LG with 18 and Kiwoom with 14.
LG ranks first in average attendance with 18,898. Doosan then has an average attendance of more than 17,000 with 17,771 and Samsung 17,672.
KIA has 16,953, Lotte has 16,000 and SSG has 15,603, with an average of more than 15,000. KT Wiz has 11,533, Hanwha 11,265, Kiwoom 18,46 and NC Dinos 15,584, with all clubs maintaining an average of more than 10,000.
With 110 games left this season, attention is focusing on how far the KBO League, which is setting an all-time box office record, will continue its spectator record.