"The V League Without Kim Yeon-kyung" student, Incusi, transformed into a box office card... The number of spectators increased in the first half of the year

*This content was translated by AI.

The retirement of "The Empress" Kim Yeon-kyung, who had a big impact on the V-League's box office, was a big concern this season, but when I opened the lid, I found that the figure was better than last season.

Jin Air 2025-2026 V-League concluded the first half (1st to 3rd rounds) with December 30th. As of the end of the third round, not only the men's and women's leading fights, but also meaningful records such as an increase in men's spectators and an increase in women's ratings were reviewed while the mid-range battle boosted interest in the V-League.

◆ men's and women's divisions with increased attendance

The total number of spectators in the first to third rounds of this season is 136,233 for men and 154,646 for women, which is a significant increase compared to last season. The men's portion increased by 10.65% (123,255 → 136,233) and the women's portion increased by 5.3% (146,797 → 154,646), showing an increase of 7.7% in the men's and women's portion.

The average number of spectators in the men's first to third rounds also increased. As of last season, it increased by 12.3% (1956 → 2197). Based on the third round, it has increased significantly to 21.7% (1939 → 2,360), energizing the V-League.

Starting this season, OK Savings Bank, which moved its headquarters to Busan, cannot attract spectators. OK Savings Bank brought 4,270 spectators to the stadium in the opening match against Incheon Korean Air. Thanks to fans visiting the stadium on weekends and weekdays, OK Savings Bank has the largest average audience of 3,051 among the seven men's teams (the second-largest average audience is Hyundai Capital 2,799).

In the case of the women's team, the average attendance of 2,455 people in the first to third rounds was recorded, an increase of 5.4% based on last season (2,330 people). In the season opener between Heungkuk Life Insurance in Incheon and Jeong Kwan-jang in Daejeon, 5,401 fans visited the volleyball court, recording the highest number of spectators in the women's team in the first half of this season, and Jeong Kwan-jang showed an average increase of about 580 spectators compared to before and after recruiting Asiad quarter replacement player Inku.

◆ upward female ratings

The average viewership of the men's and women's teams in the first half of the year (1st to 3rd rounds) rose slightly by 0.04% in the integration. The men's division is down 0.08% (0.55% → 0.47%) from last season, while the women's division is still popular, rising 0.19% (1.18% → 1.37%). In addition, the female viewership in the first half of this season is the number one record among the average viewership in the first half of all time (2nd place, 1.18% in the 2024-2025 season).

Looking at the top 5 ratings for men and women, the highest ratings match for men in the first to third rounds is the match between Suwon KEPCO and Cheonan Hyundai Capital held at Suwon Indoor Gymnasium on December 27. The game had an audience rating of 0.83 percent. The match between Daejeon Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. and OK Savings Bank, held at Daejeon Chungmu Gymnasium on Dec. 26, followed with 0.81 percent, which was the game that Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance broke its 11-game losing streak.

The highest ratings game for the women's team was the match between Jeong Kwan-jang and GS Caltex in Seoul (2.06 percent) where the debut match (December 19) of the Asian quarter Incusi, who succeeded in joining the V-League after receiving great love from MBC entertainment program "New Director Kim Yeon-kyung", was held. This record is the second place in the first to third round matches of all time. The first place was Gimcheon Korea Expressway Corporation and Heungkuk Life Insurance Co., Ltd. on November 15, 2020. Among the top five female viewership ratings in the first half of the year, Jeong Kwan-jang's game is enjoying a certain "Inkush effect" to the extent that three games were named.

◆ A fierce battle between the men's and women's leaders in the first 40 points and the middle ranks

As of the end of the third round, both Korean Air and Korea Expressway Corporation, which settled in the lead in the men's and women's divisions, finished the first half with 40 points. Coincidentally, both teams continued their 10-game winning streak early in the season, with Korean Air recording 14 wins and 3 losses and Korea Expressway Corporation recording 15 wins and 3 losses. Coincidentally, from the first day of the new year, the two teams became victims of an extraordinary event in which they were caught in the lowest team, signaling a more unpredictable trend.

The aspect of closely chasing the lead is also fun for the V-League. In the men's division, Hyundai Capital and KB Insurance are in the midst of a fierce mid-range battle with KEPCO and OK Savings Bank as they fiercely chase Korean Air. In the women's division, Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction is fiercely chasing the road construction as it shows off its power to win the third round. In addition, Heungkuk Life Insurance, GS Caltex, and Hwaseong IBK Industrial Bank are continuing their fight for spring volleyball.

◆ meaningful records embroidered in the first half of the year

In the first half, meaningful records embroidered the V-League. First of all, in the men's division, OK Savings Bank coach Shin Young-chul, who stepped down as a coach by taking the helm of LIG Insurance (currently KB Insurance) in 2004, won the match against Woori Card on November 27 to set up the first 300-win capital as the head coach of the men's and women's V-League.

Hyundai Capital's foreign player Leonardo Leyva Martinez (registered Leo) is in his eighth season in the V League, and he was the first to score 7,000 points in the men's V League against OK Savings Bank on December 20. In addition, Leo won the MVP award in the third round, becoming the 11th person in his career and the most MVP winner in men's and women's history along with retired Kim Yeon-koung (11 times).

Korean Air setter Han also wrote a meaningful record. The first-year V-League member achieved the 500 mark for blocking against Woori Card on Dec. 28. It is the 17th record in Korea, but it is the first record for a setter.

In the women's division, Kim Jong-min, head coach of the Korea Expressway Corporation, is spreading his wings on December 14, setting the record for the most wins in the women's division of the V-League. In addition, Hyundai Engineering & Construction's Yang Hyo-jin, the "pronoun of steadiness," scored 6,000 points in attack and succeeded in 1,650 blocks as the first female team in history. Lim Myeong-ok, who is wearing an IBK Industrial Bank uniform ahead of this season, achieved 11,500 digs in both men's and women's divisions, setting a record of No. 1 in all time.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.