[Official] 'W' leaves 155 games remaining and already reaches 10 million spectators; KBO sets all-time record by achieving the milestone in just 22 fewer games

*This content was translated by AI.

An unbelievable surge in popularity. The KBO League reached 10 million spectators, shaving off a remarkable 22 games from last year's record.

The 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League drew a total of 73,816 fans across five games held on the 26th at Seoul Jamsil, Gocheok, Incheon Munhak, Gwangju, and Suwon, bringing the cumulative attendance to 10,024,140. This marks the third time in history and the third consecutive season that the league has reached 10 million spectators with the fewest number of games ever played.

This year, the KBO League reached 10 million spectators after just 565 games, a record 22 games earlier than last year's 587-game milestone.

As of the 26th, the league's average attendance stood at 17,742 per game, an increase of approximately 4.5% compared to the same number of games last year. Additionally, overall seat occupancy has reached 85.7%.

An unimaginable surge in popularity. The KBO League endured a dark period when attendance bottomed out at just 2.33 million in 2004 under an eight-team structure, but since then, it has shown steep growth driven by strong performances in international tournaments and other factors. After surpassing 8 million spectators for the first time in 2016, the league maintained that figure for three consecutive years.

Following a slump amid the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the league broke through 6 million in 2022 and 8.1 million in 2023, but from 2024 onward, it wrote an entirely new chapter. With the expansion of a new fan base, the league first surpassed 10 million spectators (reaching 10.88 million) in 2024, and last year drew 12.31 million fans, sparking a professional baseball phenomenon.

This season's excitement is even hotter. Since the opening on March 28, the league reached 10 thousand won spectators in just 55 games by April 10, setting a new all-time record for reaching 10 thousand won fans in the fewest games. Building on last year's achievement, it also became only the second time in history that the first half of the season drew 70 thousand won spectators.

Even amid hot weather in the second half, the popularity surge continues. The league reached 8 million on July 19 and 9 million on August 11, achieving 10 million spectators after completing 565 of the season's total 720 games (78.5%).

With 155 games still remaining, expectations are high that another record-breaking attendance story will unfold. Simple projections suggest that if the league maintains its current average attendance for the remaining games, it could draw an additional 2.75 million fans, reaching a total of 12.77 million and surpassing last year's record for three consecutive years as the highest attendance in history.

Naturally, each team is also writing its own hot popularity story. Among the KBO League's 10 teams, four have reached 10 thousand won spectators. LG leads with 1,326,067 home fans, followed by Samsung with 1,261,477. Doosan recorded 1,161,274, and Lotte 1,064,380. The all-time single-season record for a team's highest attendance in KBO League history was set by Samsung in the 2025 season with 1,640,174 fans.

This season's league average attendance is 17,742 per game, surpassing last year's single-season record of 17,101. By team, Samsung leads the league with an average of 23,361, followed by LG at 22,101 and Doosan at 21,505, ranking second and third respectively.

This is a season where tickets are harder to get than ever. Out of the 565th games played this season, a full half—277 games—have sold out. The all-time record for most sellouts in a single KBO League season was set in 2025 with 331 games. At the current pace, there are still 75 more games that could sell out, putting this category on track to break last year's record as well.

By team, Hanwha has recorded 45 home sellouts, leading all teams in full-house crowds. Samsung also enjoys strong fan support with 42 home sellouts. KIA proved itself as the "most popular nationwide team" by recording 49 away sellouts, ranking first in away-game sellouts. Lotte followed with 42 away sellouts, taking second place.

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

*This content was translated by AI.